CHARGER NATION: Game #3
Charger Nation,
Thursday
was a great day for ECLA football as our 3rd and 4th
grade team got to play in the Georgia Dome, our 5th and 6th
grade team won big, our middle school team beat Strong Rock 12-0, and our JV
beat Strong Rock 39-6. I want to thank
the coaches on each team for their investment in the boys and in the
program. I appreciate these men as they
sacrifice so much to invest in the young boys at ELCA. If you are going to do it right, being a
football coach is very demanding and I am proud to work with men who believe in
Excellence.
Tonight the
varsity has another tough opponent in Greater Atlanta Christian. Last year GAC finished the state runner up in
AA and I think they are ranked #3 right now.
The star of their team is their quarterback and their tailback/defensive
back #2. They are well coached and do
everything right. It will be a great
game tonight.
One of the things we say in our football
program is Win the Day. I know everyone
is saying that these days but I stole it right from Chip Kelly. He came in recruiting in 2010 and I got to
sit down with him for three hours while he was waiting on a student to finish
an exam. I asked him, “Coach are you
guys ready for the national championship game against Auburn.” He replied: “No, that is 22 days away and I
can’t worry about 22 days from now. But
I am excited about today and getting better today and doing the things we need
to do today in order to be better tomorrow.”
I sat their thinking….good answer and boy did I ask a stupid
question. But I got it…we aren’t
guaranteed tomorrow and if I sit around thinking about tomorrow or worrying
about tomorrow than I am going to miss the opportunity that exists today! The more I pondered over what he said God
brought me this verse:
“But seek first the Kingdom of God
and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Proverbs 6:33-34
When we began the week Monday I
found out that our QB, DJ Hammond, was not going to be able to play
Friday. We went to practice and I found
out our two slot wide receivers, which are critical to us running our offense
were hurt with minor injuries, but could not play. Wednesday provided another blow as our
starting corner and wr got hurt in non-contact drills. It’s not that I don’t believe in the guys we
are playing in their place because I do.
But I kept having to change the line up and adjust the finer points of
the offense and I was becoming a mental basket case in my head. I kept thinking over and over: quit worrying;
quit stressing: Win the Day.
Winning the Day is all about
controlling the variables you can control in life. I don’t control injuries and I don’t control
the outcome on Friday nights. To sit
around and worry and stress over things I cannot control is foolish (even
though I struggle with it daily!). But
what I do control is my preparation and developing a game plan around the
players that are going to play. I can
focus on their strengths and build a plan that utilizes those strengths. Whoever is playing, I can make sure we get
better each day and perfect what we do and become great at it. Worrying and stressing does me no good and it
only prevents progress.
There is no way to Win the Day with
a poor attitude. If I approach the day
feeling sorry for myself and/or fretting and worrying about variables God did
not give me control over I am going to be a miserable creature. I tell the boys all the time and I remind
myself all the time: “My attitude determines my effectiveness.” If my attitude is right I can Win the
Day. The great thing about winning today
is what I do today impacts my success tomorrow.
By taking care of today and Winning the Day today I will reap the
benefits tomorrow.
I sit here and I am talking to you
about football. Remember football is just a tool God has given
us to teach young boys to become Godly men.
Our world idolizes this game and I struggle with idolizing it, but it’s
just a game. It is not who we are. It does not define us! There is a much great game going on in this
world than football. Everyday I coach a
bunch of young boys who the Devil is after and he wants nothing more than to
destroy them right now before they can become men for Jesus Christ. We live in a culture that is vile and
wretched but the culture is raising our children because our children are
addicted to their phones, computers and TV.
Our young boys are faced with challenges every single day that are way
more serious than what they will face on Friday night and situations which are
more complicated and difficult than anything they will see on Friday
night. The battle for their souls being
waged by the enemy is so much more serious than the battle we will face
tonight. It is the same for you and
me.
As men, as husbands, as wives, as
mothers it is imperative that every single day we wake up and Win the Day for
Jesus Christ. The devil wants nothing
more than to destroy us and ruin the great things God has given us. There will be many days we feel destroyed or
we feel the attacks of the enemy and that we cannot overcome. I challenge you and I challenge me: Win the
Day. The only way I am going to Win the
Day for Jesus Christ is by keeping my eyes on Jesus Christ (Col 3). I am weak but Christ is Strong. He is my Hope, my Strength and my Trust. I will boldly run into this day knowing that
I have surrendered my life to the Sovereign God who makes my paths
straight. He gives me what I need and
gives me what is best for me. He is my
Future and my Hope. He will walk with me
and take care of me. He will Strengthen
me in distress. He will humble me in my
pride. He is my Righteousness. He is my Savior. I will Win this Day by walking with God and
keeping my eyes on him. And he promises
me this: “I will teach you and instruct you in the way you should go; I will
counsel you with my eyes upon you.” Psalm
32:8 --Walk with Him!
“The horse is made ready for battle but victory belongs to
the Lord.” Proverbs 21:31
Let’s Win the Day!
Wholly for Christ,
Coach Gess
No comments:
Post a Comment