Here’s one for the coaches and parents…
When your players graduate, when your kids leave home, what will they take with them? Well, you might say, they will be prepared for the next level of baseball, or prepared to coach it, or prepared to be a good student, or to stand on their own, or to be a productive citizen. All good things. But, consider what Proverbs 7:1-4 says:
“My son, obey my words, and treasure my commands. Keep my commands and live; protect my teachings as the pupil of your eye. Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call understanding your relative” (HCSB).
As a coach, are your players getting more than baseball instruction? Are they picking up things that will help them in life beyond baseball? If not, you are failing. If they have nothing to “treasure” from you beyond your knowledge of the game, you are selling them short. You have more to give them than the fundamentals of a game they will not be able to play forever.
As a parent, are your children getting more than a ride to practice and a spot on a travel team? Are they receiving things that, if written “on the tablets of their hearts,” will serve them well far beyond this season? Are your commands, words, and teachings worth keeping? This is sobering and convicting for all parents, including this one. Yet, we must consider it. God has called us to glorify him as parents in all things. Yes, that includes sports, but it goes far beyond the field. We must bear that in mind always and not get lost in the current season, forgetting the importance of life beyond the game.
Here’s a prayer for coaches and parents:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the incredible privilege of coaching and parenting your children. As a coach, guide me to teach not only the game, but life itself. As a parent, help me to be sure my children are prepared for a life of serving Christ, not just a weekend tournament. I cannot do this without your help and guidance. Please live through me, in my coaching and in my parenting. Amen.
