Trouble and being troubled are two completely different things. Trouble is being down by a run, nobody on base, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and our worst hitter coming to the plate. Being troubled is having no strategy for this scenario and not being prepared to accept the possible consequences that are about to come.

As coaches, there will be many times when we will have to declare to our team, “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.” We might even complete our short speech with the same words that Jesus did: “Believe in me.” But if we haven’t demonstrated believability to our players, these words will have absolutely no value. Without having the same credibility that Jesus had, our words will be like wisps of air.

In John 14:1, Jesus told His disciples, “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.” Through His words, Christ offered His followers comfort for the difficult days ahead. He knew that they were about to face some major trouble—serious persecution and, for some, even death. Jesus knew that trouble was coming for Him and for His followers, but He didn’t want them to be troubled while facing it. And He doesn’t want us to be troubled either.

As coaches, we need to aim high in becoming trustworthy to help our student athletes reach their potential. If our players can’t trust us, then why should they follow us? Of course, God is the only one worthy of total trust—confirmed through Christ’s willing sacrifice on the cross—but His new life inside us can make us trustworthy as well. He invites us in the midst of any trouble that we are experiencing to bring our troubled hearts to our trustworthy God. Because even when our hearts are troubled, the ultimate remedy is still the same—totally trusting the Lord!