by Shannon Caughey

No matter how tough we may be, all of us are confronted with fears at times. Some of these fears are specific to coaching: “What if I don’t win enough and then I lose my position? What if an athlete or the parent of an athlete vocally opposes how I live out my faith in Christ as a coach?” Other fears may be related to coaching but also apply more broadly, such as the fear of failure, the fear of financial struggles, or the fear of suffering. 

Encountering fear can put us in a quandary—a difficult situation in which we are unsure how to respond or what action to take. As we’re considering coaching quandaries in this series of devotions, we’re turning to God’s Word for insight. What does it look like to coach for Christ when faced with fear? Psalm 56 is a helpful place to start.

According to the title of this psalm, David writes Psalm 56 in response to being on the run for his life. The current king, Saul, feels threatened by David’s popularity and is attempting to hunt him down so he can eliminate him. David attempts to hide in the land of the Philistines, but they also turn against him. David describes what he’s facing in the opening verses of the psalm (vv. 1-2): “O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me. My foes attack me all day long. I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me.”

Understandably, David is really struggling. What does he do in the midst of this fear-inducing quandary? Here’s where David goes next (vv. 3-4): “³ But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. ⁴ I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?”

When we encounter fear in the context of coaching or life more broadly, Psalm 56 provides a game plan for how to respond:

1. Trust God’s character. 

David says to God, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” Why choose to put his confidence in the Lord in such a difficult situation? Because David knows God’s character. He knows that God is loving, good, righteous, and just. He knows that the Lord is unrivaled in his power and authority. When we face circumstances that stir fear, remember who God is—and the fact that God’s character is unchanging no matter what we face. As Paul reminds us in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

2. Trust God’s promises.

David goes on to proclaim, “I praise God for what he has promised.” Though the threats against him are real, God’s promises are not suddenly “up for grabs.” God will do all he says he will do. His promises can always be trusted. When we feel afraid, remind ourselves of the Lord’s promises to us—such as his promise to be with us always (Matt. 28:20), or that he will be our refuge and strength and ever-present help in times of trouble (Psa. 46:1), or that his grace is sufficient for us and his power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Keep returning to the many, many promises God gives us in his Word—and trust these promises.

3. Trust God’s sovereignty.

In the second half of v. 4, David reassures himself with this: “I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” David is saying, “God, I trust your sovereignty over all. You are in charge. Those around me can’t do anything to me that threatens your ultimate plan for me.” We, too, can trust God’s sovereignty in every situation. He is in control. That doesn’t mean nothing hard or bad will happen to us. We still live in a broken, sin-damaged world in which fearful things occur. But no matter what we experience, nothing can undermine God’s ability to unfold his redemptive plan for us. In John 10:28, Jesus says of us who are his followers, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.”

There will be times when you feel afraid, whether in your coaching context or another area of your life. In these situations, remind yourself of why you can trust the Lord. You can be confident in God because of his character, his promises, and his sovereignty over all. You can say with David, “I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?”

For reflection: Are you encountering a situation that is stirring fear? Bring this to God and renew your commitment to trust him. Praise God for his unchanging character, promises, and sovereignty.