by Shannon Caughey

When some athletes compete, it looks like the weight of the world is on their shoulders. Maybe they’re haunted by past mistakes or failures, fearful of the consequences if they don’t perform flawlessly moving forward. Perhaps they are anxious about meeting expectations, whether those they put on themselves or others put on them. Or it could be that the demands of their sport or life have left them feeling depleted.

Considering this from a coaching perspective, it prompts us to ask, “Does the way that I coach contribute to athletes having a ‘the weight of the world is on my shoulders’ experience?” No coach wants this to be the case since it negatively impacts the athletes’ competitive effectiveness. More importantly, as a coach who desires to follow and honor Christ, you want to lead your athletes in ways that help them thrive—not just in competition, but in life more broadly. How can you do this, especially when you encounter athletes who are struggling?

It starts with responding to the Lord’s work as he does this for us. In this series of devotions, we’re working through Psalm 23 and considering what it looks like to be a coach who mirrors how the Lord leads and shepherds us. As we saw in the last devotion, the opening of the psalm points to the “provider” role: “¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures…” Let’s now examine what follows in Psalm 23, picking it up in the second half of v. 2: “he leads me beside quiet waters, ³ he restores my soul.”

The picture here is of how the Lord refreshes and renews us. He restores our soul. The word “soul” is not referring to some specific part of us (in contrast to our body or our emotions). It’s really about our life as a whole. It’s who we are at the core that affects every dimension of us. God’s work of restoring our soul includes both bringing back and filling up.

Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God brings us back from being sinners far from him, restoring us to his original intent for us: to live now and for all eternity in relationship with him. Through the work of Jesus, God takes us from being depleted because of our destructive sin to being filled up by Christ’s life. We no longer have to wear ourselves out trying to find our identity and worth in the things of the world—which never fully deliver. Through faith in Christ, we rest in our identity as God’s dearly-loved children and we’re filled with the worth he gives us. As Jesus says in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

The Lord’s work of bringing us back and filling us up is also ongoing. When we sin, when we take our eyes off of Jesus, when we let coaching or something else become an idol—in these situations and so many others, God graciously works to bring us back and restore us to the experience of close fellowship with him. When circumstances are challenging or life in general has us feeling depleted, God graciously calls us to the “quiet waters” of resting in him. He fills us and renews our strength. As we trust Jesus, the Lord continually restores our soul.

As a coach, you have the opportunity to shepherd your athletes in ways that reflects how God restores you. When athletes make mistakes, whether small or big, you can correct them by addressing the issue while also giving grace. Your goal is to bring them back to a place where they understand the right thing to do while also knowing they are valued and can move forward with confidence. When athletes are showing signs of being anxious or depleted, you can find ways to fill them up. Maybe it’s changing a practice plan to include something fresh or fun—or cutting practice short to give your athletes extra rest. It could be intentionally pulling an athlete aside for a personal conversation out of a desire to listen well and learn more about how specifically you can encourage them.

Make it your prayer, Coach, that your athletes would encounter through you the Lord who is our Restorer. As you look to him, he leads you beside quiet waters and restores your soul. Embrace God’s work to bring you back and fill you up. Be a channel of this restorative ministry as you shepherd your athletes.

For reflection: Praise God that he is your shepherd who restores you. Ask the Lord to grow you as a shepherding leader who is a channel of his restorative work in the lives your athletes.