by Shannon Caughey

There is no possibility of sustained competitive success without sound fundamentals. That’s why coaches consistently emphasize the fundamentals of their sport. They want their athletes to practice and grow in these fundamentals. The same holds true for us as followers of Christ. There are certain fundamentals we must practice and grow in as those who want to coach and live for the Lord. One of the most “fundamental fundamentals” is trust—which is obviously at the very heart of what it means to have faith. To experience sustained success (according to God’s definition) in life, we must trust God.

But why trust God? What is it about God that compels us to exercise consistent confidence in him? In this series of devotions, we’ll cover several attributes of the Lord that give us abundant reasons for trusting him—and for continuing to deepen our trust in him.

Let’s begin with God’s love. In the Old Testament, one of the Hebrew words used to describe God’s love for us can be translated in this way: it is unfailing. Consider how amazing this is! Is there anything in the coaching world that could be accurately described as “unfailing”? You can precisely execute your game plan and still fail to win. You can have 5-star players and yet they still fail sometimes in the midst of competition. There isn’t anything in sports or in life more broadly that could truly be called unfailing.

God’s love, however, is unfailing. Exodus 15:13 says, “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed.” According to Psalm 32:10, “Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.” In Psalm 130:7 we’re instructed to “hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is unfailing love.” These are just a few of the over thirty times that the Bible speaks of God’s “unfailing love.”

Being loved with an unfailing love sounds great, but how can we be sure that God actually loves us in this way? The definitive answer is found in what God did for us through his Son, Jesus: “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).

Coach, God loves you with an unfailing love—meaning, his love for you doesn’t ebb or flow depending on the kind of day you’re having. It also means that God’s love for you will accomplish its amazing purposes in your life as you receive it and respond to him. When you trust God and his unfailing love for you, it makes you different. You can coach and live with true freedom because you don’t have to try to prove yourself. You’re already loved by God unfailingly. You can love well those you coach, treating them with the same goodness and grace you receive from Jesus whether they’re easy or hard to coach. And whatever happens in competition, you can experience security and peace in Christ because you know his love for you is real and unfailing.

God has proven his love through what his Son, Jesus, has done for you. He leads you out of this love, and he surrounds you with this love. Put your confidence daily in the Lord and his unfailing love for you.

For reflection: Take some time to praise and thank God for his unfailing love for you. Renew your trust in him and his love.