by Shannon Caughey

Psalm 23, opening with the words “The Lord is my shepherd”, is one of the best-known chapters in the Bible. The Scriptures use many images to help us understand God and his character. “Shepherd” is one of the most prominent. Interestingly, not only is God compared with a shepherd, but leaders are called to be like shepherds as well. To be a godly coach, then, involves being like a shepherd to your athletes. What does this mean, and how do we live this out?

First, we must trust and follow the Lord as our shepherd. As we’re transformed by his shepherding leadership, we can be coaches who reflect God’s character in how we lead our athletes. Over the next several devotions, let’s examine Psalm 23 more closely and consider what it looks like to be a coach who mirrors how the Lord leads and cares for us.

Here’s how Psalm 23 begins: “¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures…” In biblical times, being a shepherd was far more than an 8-to-5 gig. A shepherd would live with his flock and take responsibility for the needs of the flock. In the arid landscape of much of Israel, a shepherd had to find pasture for his flock so they would be fed and nourished. A primary shepherding role, both then and now, is to provide for the flock.

According to Psalm 23, the Lord is our good and generous provider. When we trust and follow him, we lack nothing. God nourishes us with “green pastures” which are so abundant, we can “lie down” in them, resting in his provision. While our physical needs are part of this equation, far more significant is how God provides for our spiritual needs. He sent his Son Jesus to address our greatest need: to be rescued from the separation from God and the eternal spiritual death caused by our sin against him. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

When we respond to the sacrificial love of Jesus for us and turn in faith to him, we are saved from what we deserve for our sin. We are reconciled to God. And we can rest in the “green pastures” of knowing that just as the Lord provided the salvation we need, he will continue to provide for our every spiritual need. This is the promise that Romans 8:32 gives us: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Coach, when you’ve experienced the life-and-eternity-altering provision of the Good Shepherd, it transforms how you lead your athletes. You now desire to reflect the Lord’s shepherding leadership by being an intentional, generous provider for those you coach. There may be times that this involves material provision, such as when you have an athlete or athletes who are in challenging socioeconomic situations. More broadly, you can provide the genuine love and affirmation that your athletes need. You may need to give some athletes the “tough love” that corrects destructive behaviors while also refusing to give up on them. You can provide a consistent model of godly character, offering your athletes a picture of God’s good design for them. You can be generous with your time and energy, listening well to them and investing personally in them. 

Consider the long-term impact if being coached by you gave athletes a chance to “lie down in green pastures”—meaning, your leadership provided an abundance of what they need to truly succeed in life, not just in sports. What a privilege to shepherd those you coach! Trust the provision of the Lord as your good shepherd. Ask the Lord for the wisdom, grace, and strength you need to be a provider of what matters most to your athletes. Embrace the opportunities God gives you day by day to be a Psalm 23 coach.

For reflection: Praise God that he is your shepherd who provides everything you need. Ask the Lord to grow you as a shepherding leader who is a channel of his provision of what your athletes truly need.