“When a king’s face lights up, there is life; his favor is like a cloud with spring rain.”
– Proverbs 16:15

Legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said, “the strength of the group is the strength of the leader.” By the very nature of being called “Coach”, we find ourselves in a position of leadership. Leaders must be able to make tough decisions and be prepared to sacrifice popularity for results. Doing the right thing is not always the easy thing. I can remember my dad often saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Effective leaders (coaches) learn to hang in there, knowing that in time, the kitchen will cool down. As leaders, it is critical we stay calm, make good decisions and set the proper example.

King Solomon was a very wise man. He was very aware of the pitfalls of leadership and did not want to see a new generation of leaders repeat past mistakes. Proverbs 16:15 reminds us that leaders (coaches) willing to do the right thing—regardless of the heat—will experience great joy when all is said and done. The resulting happiness on our face will be a comfort to those we lead. They will see us as competent leaders that can be trusted because we are centered in Christ Jesus. Learning to follow Jesus is the key to our becoming a leader worth following.

Heavenly Father, give me the strength to be a leader today. Give me the wisdom to see what must be done and the courage to do it. Amen.