by Shannon Caughey

Uncertainty is part of the coaching experience. Looking ahead to the coming season, all indications may point to competitive success—but injuries might derail the team or key players might underperform. You just don’t know. Or you may think your position as a coach is secure—but a tough season or criticism from vocal parents could undermine this security. You just don’t know.

Navigating uncertainties like these can be a struggle as a coach. The same holds true for life. How do we coach and live when it feels like so many things are unknown and uncertain? We keep returning to what we do know: who God is. We know who God is because he’s revealed himself through the Bible and through his Son, Jesus Christ. Since we coach and live in an insecure world, our lives must be built on the foundation of our unchanging God. God declares in Malachi 3:6, “I am the Lord, and I do not change.” James 1:17 says of God that he is “the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

We find security through putting our faith in our unchanging God, not in the things of this world. In his book Small Faith, Great God, N.T Wright says, “Faith is the willingness to think and act on the basis of what we know of God…and to trust him that he will not let us down.” Hebrews 11 points to multiple men and women who did this very thing. Here are two: “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before… It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:7, 8).

It’s tempting to worry about the uncertainties we experience or might encounter. Instead, we must focus on what we do know with certainty: the character and trustworthiness of the Lord. Like Noah and Abraham, we must be willing to think and act based on what we know is true of God and his desire for us.

How does this impact coaching? A couple of examples: The Bible is clear that God is sovereign over all and in control. This means you can trust that God put you right where you are to coach those currently in your program. Prioritize coaching in ways that influence them to become the people God created them to be, rather than worrying about uncertainties like injuries or how they’ll perform in a big game. The Bible is also clear that God loves us with his unfailing love, demonstrated definitively by Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death for us. This means you can know that, through your faith in Christ, you are secure in God’s love no matter what happens. Coach with genuine love for your players so that they feel secure despite the uncertainties they, too, encounter.

When you struggle with uncertainty, return to what you know to be true of God. Let this then dictate how you think and act. Like Noah and Abraham, keep trusting the Lord and moving ahead as he directs you—even while being unsure exactly what the future holds. You can be certain that our unchanging God is faithful.

For reflection: Take a couple of minutes to list things you know to be true of God because of what he’s revealed through the Bible and through Christ. Reflect on how believing these truths about God influences how you think and act. Share with the Lord your desire to trust him rather than focusing on the uncertainties of coaching and life.