Someone once said, the greatest gifts in life sometimes come in a rough box—so rough it causes your hand to bleed when you open it—but inside is what you’d always hoped for. The reward far exceeds the pain to get there. About 15 years ago, a Nebraska football player walked into my office. He was one of our kickers, and I didn’t coach kickers, so I hadn’t met with him much. Nevertheless, he sat down and began to tear up, explaining to me that his fiancée died in a car wreck. He was devastated as he poured out his guts to me.
Eventually, the conversation led to Jesus and, before I knew it, this young man acknowledged his own sin and began to see his need for forgiveness and repentance. He trusted in the power of Jesus Christ for both. As he received Christ as his Savior, I was rocked by how God used this tragedy to bring this young man to Him. The free gift of eternal life came to this young kicker in a painful box that caused his heart to bleed, but as he looked into this box of hurt he discovered the gift that keeps on giving—eternal life in Christ.
But why had this young athlete come to me? When tragedy struck, he didn’t seek out a pastor or grief counselor, nor did he follow the politically correct behavior of separating religious “stuff” and university “stuff.” No, he came to little ol' me—a coach on his team who hadn’t had much personal interaction with him. I never remember even having a conversation with him. But could he have seen a little piece of Christ in me and sensed an expectation that might help him make sense of his confused world?
I like to think that is exactly why God called me to coach at a secular university—public display of the person of Jesus Christ. Did you hear that? Public display of the person of Jesus Christ, even at a public school.
The only way this young kicker saw Jesus was in his regular proximity—the locker room, the coach’s office, the practice field, the dining hall, the relationships on his team. He came to me not by luck, but through God’s sovereignty. Christ worked through me to be intentional with him about being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. In the midst of his pain, this young man found what he needed most desperately, and he expected to find it because he’d seen some small glimpses of God’s power on public display through me.
I urge you to live humbly—yet publicly—for Jesus. Invite the unsaved world to see what we see regularly—the glory of God in Christ. Through the wins and losses, the hirings and firings, the praise and the disapproval, we should be humble, public displays of our faith in Jesus.
Today, I’m sure glad that young kicker didn’t miss out on the greatest gift of his life because I had kept my faith a secret. Fifteen years later, I stood in front of our church with him and his precious wife and three children to encourage him to lead them in Christ. I’m so thankful Jesus went public with Himself through me—and so many others who know Him. That’s how I came to know Jesus, and I’ll bet that’s how you came to know Him, too.
As Christian coaches and athletes, we can expect there to be non-Christian athletes, coaches, fans and media watching us closely, looking for answers to their confusing worlds. And we can expect God to show them the reality of Jesus through us, even in our most difficult times. If we knew the big picture and could watch an unsaved athlete see the reality of Jesus by observing us publicly, we would never stop rejoicing.
That young kicker isn’t so young anymore, and he’s no longer kicking footballs through goal posts. But he and his family are living examples of 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NLT; emphasis added): “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with GREAT EXPECTATION, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.”
–This article appears in the January/February 2015 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue in its entirety digitally, click here: Jan/Feb 2015 FCA Mag Digital
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