Coaches today need all the inspiration they can get and so why not get your inspiration from God’s Word. There is no better source than God Himself. Here are twenty inspirational Bible verses that will motivate you to keep on, keeping on.
God’s Word, the Bible, is inspired by God Himself and so when you read the Bible, you read God’s thoughts. We can know the mind of God by reading the Word of God and thus be inspired by it. God says about His Word that it is His very breath. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” The part where it says that it’s useful for “training in righteousness” sounds just like coach-speak. The verse that says Scripture is “breathed out by God” is the same word used for God breathing into Adam the breath of life. It is the very essence of life. God’s Word is life and brings eternal life and so there is no doubt that the readers of the Bible will be inspired by the Author of the book, God Himself. Let’s see if we can find some prescribed verses to inspire you coaches so that you in turn can inspire those whom you train.
Coaches hold a very important position in life. They can make or break an athlete or a team. They can be the difference between success and failure. I was a little league coach once and we had one of the worst teams in the league, yet I continually reminded the players that they were getting better with each game. I tried to inspire them that with each and every loss, they were learning something. The fact is that we always learn more from our defeats than from victories. Winning is easy but losing is not. It is so easy to be a good sport when you are winning but when you are losing, this is the time that valuable lessons are learned and character is formed. I had an old track coach in school who was a Christian. I was the youngest member on the track team. I was among the smallest yet he made me believe that I could be a winner or at least be respectable in competing. I have never forgotten him and today he is 80 years old and he still remembers me as the guy who wouldn’t quit. I have so much respect for him, even after all these years, and so coaches…here’s to you. Let the Word of God richly dwell in you and inspire you as you inspire those whom you coach. Here are ten inspirational verses from the Bible just for you!
First Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”
Even the coach is in a race. The race of life. This verse inspires us to remind our team to run for the prize and run so that they may obtain it. Notice it doesn’t say that you will obtain it but that you may obtain it. No promises, just run so you have a chance to obtain it. That’s all a coach can ask.
First Timothy 4:8 “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Certainly bodily training is of value but the value of godliness will extend into all of your teams life. By your example of being a godly coach, you can model for them what this promise for “the present life” is and perhaps lead them into “the life to come” and that would be eternal life in Christ.
Hebrews 12:11-13 “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”
I remember my old football coach telling us that all the pain we endure today will produce joy tomorrow. Even though I had shin splints in running, at the end of the games, we had more “run” left in us than the other teams did most of the time. It’s unpleasant while training but with the focus on tomorrow, it is easier to endure the moment. Yes, it is painful, but it also yields results later for those “who have been trained by it.”
First Corinthians 9:25-27 “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Self-control is vital to coaches as well as the athletes he or she trains. They will only be as good as their coach is and self-control doesn’t just have to do with diet and exercise. It has to do with character. If the team doesn’t respect the values of the coach, they are not likely to train as hard. You can’t be their buddy. It is more important to be respected than popular. If they don’t train as hard, they wont’ compete as hard and so if you coach harder, they are more likely to train harder. Paul learned to discipline his body and to “keep it under control” because if he didn’t, his example would disqualify him as a leader.
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
This is one of the most popular verses in the Bible for those who are battling addictions and facing their giants. Since we can do all things through Christ Who will strengthen us, the converse must also be true: We can do nothing of ourselves, which is just what Jesus said (John 15:5).You Are My Strength by Hillsong United
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
This reminds me of a woman who was swimming the English Channel. She swam for hours upon hours and then a heavy fog moved in. She became discouraged and wearied. She finally gave up even though her mom, who was next to her in a boat, told her she’s almost there. When the woman climbed into the boat, only then was she able to see the shore which was less than a hundred yards away. If she had known that, she might have kept going and made it all the way. When we trust our eyes and do not see things with the eyes of faith, we can not grow in our faith and we become weary and give up. If only we can keep going: Who knows? Discouragement is the greatest weapon that Satan has at his disposal. It is most effective tool because with it he makes the Christian lose their courage, which is what the definition of discouragement is, a lose of courage.
Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Keep pressing on is a great message for coaches to send to their team. Pressing on is also “forgetting what lies behind” and then leaning forward, or “straining forward to what lies ahead.” Many a race has been won by runners who are “straining forward” to reach the finish line first. If you as a coach have a goal, then you can inspire your team to “press on toward the goal for the prize” and by your godly example, perhaps lead them to “the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Next to parents, godly coaches may have the greatest potential to reach their athletes to attain the greatest prize there is…eternal life in Jesus Christ. That is the biggest “win” there is in this life! This “pressing ahead” is more easily attained by “forgetting what lies behind.” I have never seen a runner carrying baggage except in an airport. Looking back can be hazardous to where you are going.
James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
When coaches endure trials themselves, they can inspire their team to endure more than what they think they can. I know of many who had overcome cancer, the death of a child, the breakup of their marriage, only to persevere. This steadfastness under trial is one the greatest examples of faith there is. The crown that the athlete receives is often won after they have “stood the test” time and time again. The coach who leads by example can lead others to the eternal crown of life “which God has promised to those who love him.” Unlike my old trophies in the garage, this “crown of life” lasts forever!
Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.”
It is similar to Colossians 3:23 which says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”I saved the 9th and 10th one for last but they are not the least. I found these verses useful for just about anything we can do. When I was working as a janitor and working in the grime and slime of a bathroom floor, in the toilets, or in the sinks, I often found myself thinking, “what a useless, thankless, least-respected job this is.” But actually, I found that I was not really working for my employer. I was working for God and to His glory. For 7 long years I labored on my hands and knees, wearing out several pairs of jeans in the process and maybe my knee caps too but I also found it a useful place to pray. I prayed while I worked and praised God for what I did have. Coaches, whatever you are doing, you are doing the Lord’s work. You are doing it for His glory. It is “not for men” but “for the Lord.” That is the very reason that God may have placed you in the coaching position you have. God has no accidents. There is a purpose for you coaching these men and women or boys and girls and so to you I say, do it “as for the Lord and not for men.”
Whether you are a coach or not, if you are an employer, a parent, an uncle or aunt, a team member, a church leader, or even a janitor, we all have the ability and the chance to influence others. By our example we can lead a team of those who we witness to, both by our example and by our sharing of the gospel, into heaven. To expand the kingdom is to bring more glory to Jesus Christ. To glorify Him in deed and in word is to bring glory to God. In some way, we are all a coach. Now let’s go and press on, not looking back, but instead “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Resources- The Holy Bible, English Standard Version“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
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