There are many things I’m not very good at. I’m not good at home repair. I’m not good at putting things together. I’m not good at songwriting, farming, or drawing straight lines. When faced with any one of those tasks, it is easy for me to recognize my deficiencies and ask for the help I need.
On the other hand, there are some things I am pretty good at: algebra, for example. I also think I’m pretty good at caring about people. And I know that I’m a really good Dad. I’m one of the best Dads I know. This is not my opinion, but a certifiable fact. At least that’s what I thought.
So imagine my discouragement when recent events in my family caused me to doubt myself as a parent. It was devastating. This was the one area of my life where I had absolutely no doubt about my ability. When I was 20 years old, I came across as a pretty arrogant dude. I definitely thought a lot of myself. However, over the past decade and a half, reality has set in and I had come to believe there are people who are better than I am at just about everything I do. Everything, that is, except as a Dad. And I was absolutely crushed as a result of this crisis of confidence. Crushed. Tears. And plenty of them.
The point? Although I had given God control of and credit for most everything I do, the job of being a Dad was one I was content to do myself. Because I was so good at it, I didn’t need any help. Not even from God. Or so I thought.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a pretty good coach. The people who visit this site are typically outstanding at what they do, or they wouldn’t take the time to read things designed to make them think about how to get better. So since you’re a good coach, are you doing it yourself, or have you embraced the truth that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, and apart from Him we can do nothing? Apart from Him we can do nothing that lasts. We can do nothing of significance. It sounds discouraging at first, even as I type the words. But it’s not discouraging. It’s the best news imaginable, because we don’t have to do anything apart from Him. He has promised to be with us in all we do, all the time, until the very end of the age.
God made me a good Dad, but I cannot be the Dad He wants me to be until I yield every bit of it to Him. God made you a good coach, but you cannot be the coach He wants you to be until you yield every bit of it to Him.
80’s Lyric