by Shannon Caughey

Most coaches emphasize the importance of strength training for their athletes—and not just in the off-season. Strength training is an all-year endeavor. Coaches know that stronger athletes have a much better chance of being successful. This is often on display later in a game or competition. Athletes who have the ability to remain strong rise above others who falter because of fatigue.

Strength is just as crucial for you, Coach, in your pursuit of being a God-honoring coach. In this series of devotions, we’re looking at Paul’s prayer in Colossians 1:9-12. We’ve already seen that “the way [we] live will always honor and please the Lord” (v. 10) as we grow in knowing God’s will, in wisdom and understanding, in producing good fruit, and in relational closeness with the Lord. Here’s what Paul prays next (v. 11): “We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.”

It is not easy to live and coach for Christ in a world that often promotes ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to God’s will. In this challenging environment, our goal is nothing short of always (not just when it’s easy or convenient) honoring and pleasing the Lord. To do so requires strength—far more strength than any of us possess on our own. That’s why Paul prays that we would be strengthened with all God’s glorious power. The all-powerful God—the God whose power is glorious and unrivaled—willingly empowers us as we look to him in faith and dependence. 

How do we access the strength that the Lord provides? In another of Paul’s prayers recorded in Ephesians 3, he says, “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” (Eph. 3:16). God makes his glorious power available to us through his Spirit who dwells within us when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. The Spirit works in and through us, empowering us to do all that the Lord desires for us to do as we depend upon him.

Back to Colossians 1:11: When Paul prays that we would “be strengthened,” the verb he uses is in the present tense. This communicates a couple of truths. First, God’s power is continuously available to us. We can come to him at any time for strengthening. Second, we continuously need the Lord’s power. We don’t just come to him once and from then on we can handle life on our own. We daily—and even situation-by-situation throughout the day—need infusions of his power so that we can think, speak, and act for his honor. We keep coming to God to be strengthened.

Paul also points to a key reason why we need the Lord’s power: “so that you will have all the endurance and patience you need.” To live and coach for God’s honor is to choose what glorifies him rather than what others may be doing—and to make this choice again and again. We need his strength to keep choosing the Lord and his ways even when it gets harder and we’re being pressured to do something different. We need God’s power to keep speaking and acting for him even when we’re not yet seeing the fruit we’re hoping for with these Christ-focused choices. We look to God for the enabling to stand firm for Jesus. He strengthens us with his power so that we have all the endurance and patience we need.

Coach, you need the Lord’s empowering to sacrificially love those in your sphere of influence as a coach—including the ones most challenging to love. You need to be strengthened by God’s power to be guard your tongue so your words reflect Christ and build others up when the speech of those around you is degrading and vulgar. You need an infusion of God’s power to stand apart for Jesus when you’re tempted to grow weary and it would be so much easier to just go with the flow of the culture around you.

To be a God-honoring coach, you need the Lord’s strength—and he willingly and abundantly provides it. He empowers you through his Spirit who dwells within you. Keep praying for and pursuing being strengthened with all God’s glorious power so you will have all the endurance, patience, and everything else you need.

For reflection: Ask God to grow you in being strengthened by his power. Ask him to help you daily trust him for the power needed to honor and please him in every situation.