“So we must not get tired of doing good, for we
will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
– Galatians 6:9

It’s a common practice for me to go to the sports section on Friday mornings to check out the high school football matchups for the evening. Normally, I’m looking for the best games involving undefeated teams or contests that involve a great offense going against a great defense. While going through this process recently, my attention was diverted to an article highlighting a game between two 0-4 teams. The story stated a painful but obvious fact. When the night was over, one of those teams was still going to be winless. As a coach I have been there and it’s frustrating riding home on a Friday night with an 0-5 team. The critical question to be answered when we find ourselves in that situation is this: “How are we going to deal with it?” If frustration is already here, panic can’t be far away. One of my standard lines when I offer encouragement to frustrated coaches is this: “Coach, you’re doing it the right way, just keep doing it.”

Coaching is a lifestyle filled with ups and down. When we’re losing, it’s easy to panic and make changes for all the wrong reasons. Instead of teaching our players, we start yelling at them. We make practices longer and more difficult and wonder why our players don’t respond. We even begin to listen to some of the suggestions from those outside the team and are tempted to drift away from everything we stand for as a person and a coach. In Galatians 6:9, Paul is encouraging us not to get frustrated when the rewards aren’t immediate. A farmer doesn’t harvest a field of wheat the day after he puts the seed in the ground. When we are doing it the right way, the rewards are guaranteed. God promises they will come in due season. Remember that 0-5 team I mentioned earlier; they finished 5-5. Coach, you’re doing it the right way; just keep doing it!

Heavenly Father, thank You for not giving up on me. Help me to control my frustration. Help me see the bigger picture. Give me the strength to keep doing it the right way. Amen.