Soccer and the Glory of God

I have to say, I thought I would enjoy coaching soccer , but not as much as I am. This is my first season coaching my sons' soccer team, and it is being a blast. As a family, we have enjoyed 2 previous soccer seasons. Now taking a step into coaching, I have had to take time to evaluate what I see as important for these 5-7 year old kids to gain from our time together this season. I am not the best at soccer. I played football and baseball as a kid, but I do understand life long aspects one gains from playing team sports. I have taken time to think through what I have shared with my boys over the other soccer seasons, and now I will extend that into the team.

Why is this something to blog about? Because what is important in soccer is what is important in life. Each of us no matter what we do are called to continue our development and work hard to be at the top of our game. Life isn't just a short season like soccer, but over the months, years, and decades of life we are to become more and more of what God created us to be. With this in mind as a dad and now as a coach, I hope to help put a desire in these kids to work hard and give strong effort to improve.

Every night at bed time, we pray with our kids and part of those prayers is asking God to help us become everything He has created us to be. We ask Him to help us do our best so we can show everyone how awesome He is. We ask Him to help us show how awesome He is in what we do and with the attitude we have. I believe this is part of setting within them that they honor God and reveal His greatness by becoming the best we can in all that we do.

In soccer, I have set 3 “team rules”:

• Work hard
• Have Good Attitude
• Have Fun

We all would do well to live these simple rules. Too often, we look for something magnificant to do to glorify God, but the simple every day efforts of hard work, improving, and enjoying life is a major part of revealing God's glory. For us to do things well and improve to even greater abilities reveals the greatness and glory of the Creator. It is He that has given us all that we are able to do and be. Our hard work reveals how awesome He made us which refects how great He must be. The work of our hands and the meditations of our hearts expresses His glory and puts on display His amazingness.

We are created and called to be an expression of His glory in all that we do. 1 Corinthians 10:31 presents to us that we are to do whatever we do for the glory of God. We must be a generation that recognizes the totality of our lives is for the glory of God. Who we are and what we do is for His honor and an expression of His greatness. So even an ordinary soccer practice becomes worship and a revelation of God. As these kids push themselves to be better, run faster, kick stronger, play with heart, keep good attitudes, work with each other, and enjoy what they are getting to do, it becomes a glorious moment that allows the greatness of God to be seen.  To Him be the glory for all that our lives have to offer and are able to do!

In an amazing way, soccer and the glory of God go together.