It’s football season again and we’re already several weeks deep into the 2025-26 season. Fans are following their favorite teams and fantasy managers are attempting to maximize their talent. Already this fall there have been some surprises, some injuries, and some adjustments to new rules and the rest of the season promises to be interesting for players and fans alike.
Football can also teach us some important lessons about our relationship with Jesus. There are many comparisons that can help us understand, appreciate, and improve our Christian faithfulness.
To begin with, it’s important to realize Who owns our team. God the Father purchased each of us to be on His “team,” the church, and “play” for Him, and He did so with the blood of His own Son. As such we are to honor and respect our Owner and do all we can to bring glory and praise to Him and to the rest of His team. Disrespecting an owner is one of the surest ways to damage one’s career and jeopardize chances for success.
Secondly, we must understand that Jesus is our “coach.” He is the One who organizes the team and determines where we each will best perform. We may not like that others get to play quarterback while we block, but our Coach knows our strengths and weaknesses even better than we do and He positions each of us for the success of His team. He has a bigger picture in mind than just how we can individually get the most attention and glory.
Even more difficult is when He benches us. No player likes to warm the bench but again, the Coach knows best and has His reasons that He is not obligated to explain. We can yell, “Put me in Coach” all we want, but the best approach is to say, “I’m here to play whatever position You want whenever You want.” Perhaps He wants us to use our time on the sidelines to encourage our teammates so they will do well.
Our Coach also calls the plays. Regardless of how much we think we know about life’s game, He knows infinitely more and has recorded most of His strategies and plans in His playbook, the Bible. The more we study and follow it, the more successful we’re going to be and the more successful the team will be. We may think it best to play soft on the devil’s temptations, but the Coach says to not give him an inch. We are to resist even the appearance of evil thus eliminating any compromise with our opponent. Whenever we start doing our own thing on the field, our whole team will suffer.
With the Father as our Owner and Christ as our Coach, we understand that the Holy Spirit is our communication system. He is always on the same page with the Owner and the Coach and knows exactly how They want us to play. Through the Spirit’s presence in each team member’s heart, He can reveal not only the plays before the ball is snapped, but even how we should move and respond during each play. Because He has perfect and constant knowledge of our playing field, He continually coaches us second by second if we are willing to listen.
It’s also important to remember that all believers are on the same team. Even though we may wear a Brethren, Baptist, Lutheran, or similar jersey, if we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior, we’re not opponents, but teammates. Even within our own congregations, we sometimes have squabbles but let us never allow our opponent to cause us to view our own team members as our enemies.
As football teams grind it out each weekend on the gridirons, may they remind us of our roles on God’s team. If you’ve never joined, sign your contract by accepting Jesus as your Savior today and may we all obey our Coach and Communicator to glorify our Owner. Blessings, George