by Shannon Caughey

The way we think affects everything about us. Reflect on the context of your coaching: the way you think about skill development, motivating your athletes, building team culture, offensive or defensive strategy, and any number of other things dictates how you then go about coaching. What’s going on in your mind largely determines your actions as a coach.

This is also true for how we live. In this series of devotions, we’re considering how following Christ transforms our coaching, focusing in particular on what Romans 12:1-2 says: “¹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. ² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

As we saw in the last devotion, when Paul in v. 1 says “in view of the mercies of God,” he’s referring to all he’s been discussing in the first eleven chapters of Romans as he unpacked the gospel. Because of God’s merciful, gracious work through Jesus Christ, we are rescued from what we deserve for our sin and given new life in relationship with the Lord. This relationship changes every dimension of who we are and how we live. According to v. 2, a crucial component of our transformation is “the renewing of [our] mind.” What is involved in coaching with a transformed mind?

First, recognize and resist the influences that distort our mind. Verse 2 opens with the command, “Do not be conformed to this age.” By “this age,” Paul means the current world around us that is largely influenced by sin and rebellion against God. In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases the beginning of v. 2 in this way: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.” Often the culture of coaching promotes a self-centered mindset rather than being God-centered. Competitive success, recognition as a coach, climbing the coaching ladder—we can set our minds and hearts on things like these. They become idols we give our devotion to rather than being devoted to Christ. As those who are committed to Jesus, we need to recognize and resist anything that influences our minds to move away from Christ rather than toward him.

Second, fill our mind with what aligns with our life in Christ. To “renew” our mind is to think in new ways because we have new life through faith in Jesus. By his Spirit’s work in us, Jesus is transforming our mind—moving us away from our previous ways of thinking before we knew Christ, and enabling us to think more and more in ways that reflect him. The “renewing of our minds” means we now think differently about ourselves, others, circumstances, key issues of our day, coaching, etc.

Our role in this renewal process is to cooperate with Christ’s work by filling our mind with what helps us know him and his heart. We do this primarily through saturating our mind with Scripture: consistently spending time reading and reflecting on God’s Word, being actively involved in a good church that teaches the Bible, and meeting with other believers to study and discuss God’s Word. In all of this, we ask the Lord for wisdom and understanding from him about how to apply his Word to our life—including coaching. 

Coach, as the Lord transforms your mind, this will transform why and how you coach. You will increasingly think about coaching through the lens of glorifying God and impacting others for him. Your mindset will not just be on winning games but on worshiping the Lord in all you do. Having a mind that is being renewed by Christ affects everything about being a coach.

For reflection: In what ways is your current thinking about coaching “conformed to this age” rather than being transformed by Christ? Pray for greater responsiveness to the Lord as he renews your mind. Consider next steps toward saturating your mind with God’s Word.