READY: “And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?” - Genesis 4:9 (KJV)
SET: As a coach, one of the things I find most amazing is how great it is when a group of individuals bond in true brotherhood. I’ve been blessed to coach youth football (best sport ever—I’m just sayin’), and at the beginning of each season we give our kids homework to help them understand this kind of brotherhood.
We break it up over the first three weeks when conditioning is hardest on the body, mind and soul. It’s during these times that players (and coaches) either start to bond and get on the same page or fall away from each other.
The homework itself is easy. We ask them to write down the definitions of several words (e.g. Prepared, Faith, Desire, Respect, Integrity, Accountable, Loyal, Effort, Attitude, Endurance, Humble and Brotherhood) and use them in a sentence. Then, they are to list a word with the opposite meaning. While each word helps to build the foundation of brotherhood, it cannot create it. Our job as coaches is to foster an environment in which it can flourish.
As Christians, we are called to function in this same manner with our families, our churches, our teammates and, really, everyone God has placed in our path. It’s our responsibility to tend the souls, lead the hearts, shape the minds and follow Christ in order to achieve true brother/sisterhood—to be our brother’s keeper, so to speak.
It’s a fallen world, so the task of achieving brotherhood can be both simple and difficult, but the fellowship of believers is essential to our Christian life. Some people say, “God and I have an understanding. I don’t need to be part of a local church.” But the truth is we are told in Scripture not to forsake the fellowship and assembly of believers.
If we trust Jesus and lean on each other through life’s difficulties, a special bond will be created. In Christ we become true brothers and sisters.
(P.S. On the homework, one of my players actually listed sisterhood as the opposite of brotherhood. I laughed. He’s only 10, so we cut him some slack.)
GO:
1. Have you ever experienced true brother/sisterhood? Describe the situation.
2. Is there unity on your sports team? If not, how can you help develop it?
3. Do you have a group of brothers and sisters in Christ you meet with regularly?
WORKOUT:
John 15:10-17 (KJV)
Hebrews 10:24-25 (KJV)
1 John 3:11-18 (KJV)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ruben Hernandez is a youth football coach in Illinois. For more information about FCA please visit FCA.org.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
20 Principles Of Success Not Taught In School
- The only thing in life you have control over is your perspective. No matter what happens, YOU control what the meaning is, and what to do with the meaning you give to the circumstance.
- Have more fear of regret than failure.
- Failure is only part of the journey to success. There is not one success story out there that hasn’t experienced failure. The reason you are hearing about it as a success story is because those people saw failure as a tool to get it right.
- It’s not about what you want to do for a living, it’s about you who want to be. What is your purpose and legacy? I believe the age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is wrong. We need to be asking, “Who do you want to be? What footprint do you want to leave in this world?” From there, you will have your answer as to what you should “do.”
- Stay focused on your race within. When you are too busy looking behind and around you, people are passing you by.
- True leadership comes from good energy. Worry more about what your energy is like than the firmness your handshake.
- Life will give you the same challenges/problems over and over again until you learn your lesson.
- Until you jump over your inner roadblocks, your outer ones will stay firmly in place. We spend so much time focused on all the exterior obstacles around us, letting them be our excuses. But the more clear and aware we are of our internal roadblocks, and dissolve them, the external roadblocks will begin to disappear, too.
- The most successful people are the ones that work on themselves first.
- Do not judge—be inspired. If you are too busy judging everyone and everything around you, you are not remaining open to find inspiration in everyone and everything around you.
- You are not allowed to complain about something unless you are going to do something about it.
- Surround yourself with people you want to be like.
- Learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. The more fears you face, the more you will grow.
- Always ask, “What if?” and, “Why Not?” Instead of thinking, “What if I fail?” ask, “What if I succeed?”
- Creativity is your unlimited capital. Understand and harness its power.
- “I only have good days.” If you start off everyday with this mindset, even when challenges emerge, your positive mindset will help you overcome them more readily.
- Create your own footprint. You do not need to do what others have done before you.
- Hit the “mental reset button.” When you are thinking negative thoughts, envision hitting the “delete” button in your mind and begin to rewrite a better story.
- Abundance is everywhere. You must choose to see it and believe it in order to fully experience it.
- There is a lesson in everything that happens to us—wisdom to be gained and gratitude to be given. Begin with gratitude and everything else will reveal itself
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