Ready:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.” – Galatians 5:22-23
Set:
Coaches are always looking for indicators of progress: faster times, weight room gains, greater consistency and success in actual competition. In Galatians 5:22-23, God gives a succinct yet significant standard by which we can measure spiritual progress: the fruit of the Spirit. As God through His Spirit is growing us in spiritual maturity, how we live will be increasingly marked by certain qualities. At the top of this list is love.
Jesus taught that the greatest commandments are to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). But Jesus didn’t just talk about love. He lived it out. One definition of love is “taking sacrificial action for the benefit of others.” Out of love, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit: laying down His life so that we could experience forgiveness for our sins and new life in relationship with God.
In John 15:12-13, Jesus says, “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” As God’s Spirit works in us, what does it mean to love others as Jesus loves us?
1. Show and tell. Communicating love to your teammates or the athletes you coach through your words is important. But don’t let it stop with verbal expressions of love. Back up what you say with what you do. Show love by taking sacrificial action for their benefit.
2. Go beyond the expected. Jesus is the Son of God and King of kings. Yet He chooses to serve sacrificially and to give His life for sinful and rebellious people. Jesus loves through taking action that no one expected. You can love your teammates or the athletes you coach by doing the same. Take sacrificial action that they wouldn’t expect—action for their good, action that communicates genuine care for them.
A core indicator of spiritual progress is growth in loving others as Jesus loves you. Respond to God’s Spirit as He works in you to bring about this fruit.
Go:
As you desire to make spiritual progress, why does knowing God’s Spirit is working in you make such a difference?
How can you both communicate and demonstrate love to your teammates or athletes today?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Lord Jesus, thank You for Your amazing love for me. Thank You that Your Spirit lives in me. I pray that by Your Spirit’s enabling, I would share and demonstrate Your love to others today. Amen.”