In our pregame talks, we tell our players to “play with heart!” and encourage them to perform their best. The more our players develop such a vision, the deeper their commitment to the sport becomes. This is exactly what Jesus wants from us. He wants to develop a heart in us that will commit to knowing Him in a deeper, more intimate way. As David said in Psalm 51:10, “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” As we develop this kind of heart, others will notice.

For years, I believed in who God was, but I did not have a relationship with Him. The only relationship I thought that I could count on was my relationship with my grandparents. Then the Lord brought a friend into my life to “coach” me into wanting a relationship with Him. She cared enough about me to show me her heart. As a result, I was so drawn to Jesus that I surrendered and made Him more than my Savior—He became the Lord of my life. As I learned to trust Him and accept His grace and compassion, all of my relationships changed. So did my coaching!

As coaches who follow Christ, we can pour out to others what He has poured into us. He’ll restore and rejuvenate our relationships as He continues to change our hearts. And as we rest in Him and continue to be transformed into His likeness, the peace, hope and joy we experience with Him will show our players what it really means to play with heart!