by Shannon Caughey

We’re getting close to Easter Sunday, a day of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we put our faith in the One who rose bodily from the grave three days after his crucifixion, we are the recipients of what Christ’s victory over sin and death accomplished. Jesus’ resurrection means we are rescued from being eternally separated from God because of our sin. His resurrection also means we are given new and eternal life. We experience incredible “wins” as a result of Easter!

These Easter “wins” go even further: Christ’s resurrection means that what we do day by day really matters – including our coaching efforts. The Bible emphasizes this in multiple places, including what Paul says in Colossians 3. Here’s how Colossians 3 opens: “¹ Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

When Paul talks about “heaven,” he’s referring to the realm or sphere where God’s reign as King is fully realized. The new life we’re given through Jesus’ resurrection is life in God’s eternal kingdom: life under God’s good, loving, and righteous rule as our King. To set our hearts and minds on this is to orient our perspective around the values, characteristics, and goals of God’s kingdom in all we do.

The rest of Colossians 3 begins to fill in the details of how this kingdom perspective transforms how we think about and go about everyday life, including how we approach our work (vv. 23-24): “²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ²⁴ Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”

Here are three dimensions of a kingdom perspective on work – living out what Christ’s resurrection means for everyday life:

First, we recognize that all work matters. Paul says in v. 23 “whatever you do.” Every form of work (assuming it’s not endorsing sin) gives opportunities to promote the values, characteristics, and goals of God’s kingdom – even if it feels small. This includes the daily work you do as a coach.

Second, we recognize that working hard matters. Paul puts it this way: “work willingly” (NLT) or “work at it with all your heart” (NIV). When we take a “no plays off” approach to our work, we honor the Lord by respecting our employer and supervisor. We live out the kingdom value of being good stewards of the time and energy we’re to give to our work.

Third, we recognize that working with the right motivation matters. It’s good and right to receive a paycheck and benefits for doing our work, including the work of coaching. However, our ultimate motivation is this: we are working for the Lord. “Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ” (v. 24). We’re motivated to make our work count for Christ, our coaching count for Christ, and everything else we do in life count for Christ. We desire for Jesus to be known and glorified!

The new life we have in God’s kingdom because of Christ’s resurrection transforms our perspective, including our perspective on the work of coaching. Here’s the Easter “win”: when we go about our everyday lives with this perspective, what we do matters for his eternal kingdom. The Lord will use us to make a difference for his glory – and the reward will be like no other!

For reflection: Consider your current work, including your coaching, in light of the kingdom perspective outlined in Colossians 3:24-24 – all work matters, working hard matters, and working with the right motivation matters. In which of these dimensions do you need the most growth or change in your perspective? Bring this to the Lord in prayer.