“Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2
Have you ever played the game, “Follow The Leader”? It’s a copycat game in which people in a group imitate the actions of the leader, and the person in the middle tries to figure out who the leader is. They may walk funny, do jumping jacks or clap their hands, but the person who is "it" must identify the leader—the one person whom everyone else is copying.
On fields, tracks and courts all over the world, players are following their leaders—coaches. They are watching what they do, hearing what they say and reading their body language. They see their emotions in the heat of competition. They see facial expressions and hear halftime speeches, learning habits and beliefs. And, like it or not, they are not only taking notes, but they are following their leader. The coach influences athletes mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually and relationally. Young athletes are learning behaviors from their coaches that will shape their futures—both who they will become and how they are likely to behave.
Coaches spend more time with kids than most parents do, so it’s not surprising coaches are often considered the No. 1 influence in the lives of young people. With so much at stake, is it possible for coaches to have a lasting, positive influence on their athletes? Yes! Coaches will never be perfect role models, and, if they try to be, it will break them. But there is one thing they can do that rises above all others—Follow The Leader.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 and 5 to be imitators of God. We are, quite simply, to follow our Leader. We are to do what He did. Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23: “...if anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
As we follow Christ, others follow our example. But as coaches, we must first follow our Leader, and then lead others. Here's how that will look and sound:
- As we follow God, He changes the way we think. He replaces our temporal perspective with an eternal one. He shows us that it’s never enough to win on the field but lose in life. He replaces our negativity and pessimism with possibility and belief. Making excuses and blaming others becomes a thing of the past.
- As we follow God, He changes the words we speak. He replaces words that tear down with words that build up. As He gets ahold of our heart, He makes it more and more difficult to be critical and condemning. It becomes more difficult to use profanity or to shame a kid in front of their peers. We become encouragers who help others be the best they can be.
- As we follow God, He changes our physical health. He replaces unhealthy eating habits with foods that bring life and health. If we demand that our players are physically ready for competition, we should expect nothing less from ourselves. We must model healthy behaviors if we hope to be our best and have a positive influence that lasts.
- As we follow God, He changes how we express our emotions. He replaces inappropriate emotional outbursts with peace in the midst of the storm. The circumstances on the field do not dictate the condition of our heart or our ability to control our emotions. How we respond to adversity models strength and steadiness, and we grow in our ability to show love and ac-ceptance.
- As we follow God, He changes our spiritual foundation. He replaces our desire to have control with the faith that He is in control. When we know and grow in Jesus, we have a growing desire to plant seeds that lead to a life of lasting significance instead of short-term success. We build our life on what our Leader says, walking more by faith and less by sight.
Every coach has followers. But to be the kind of leader worth following, we must follow The Leader. Let’s surrender every area of life to God and imitate Him. Colossians 3:17 says it this way: “And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
How we lead will have a lasting influence on who our young athletes become and how they live their lives. Let’s leave a legacy we’re proud of!
Originally Published: March 2013