Living With The Coach

Bud Wilkinson was without question one of the greatest football coaches of all time. He led the Oklahoma Sooners to several national championships. But during football season, Coach Wilkinson did something unusual—he invited his quarterback to live in his home with his family. That coach must have had an understanding wife!

The relationship between Coach Wilkinson and his quarterback became like that of a father and son. They lived under the same roof, shared meals, rode together to practices, studied films side by side, diagrammed plays, and talked football constantly. When someone asked Coach Wilkinson why he did this, his answer was simple and profound:

"Because if that young man spends enough time with me, he will begin to think like I think. And then when he gets out there on the football field, he will know what I want him to do."

Isn’t that exactly what it means to be a Christian?

To be a Christian is to spend so much time with Jesus Christ—through prayer, Scripture, worship, and daily fellowship—that we begin to think Christlike thoughts, love as He loves, and act as He would act. Then, when we step out into the game of life, we carry the mind of Christ. We know what He desires, and we are ready to follow His lead.

That’s Christian obedience: to condition our hearts, train our spirits, and prepare ourselves to respond to God in every circumstance. We apply His will with grace, wisdom, and love—because we’ve spent time with the One who leads us.

As Scripture reminds us in 1 John 5:3,

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

When you live with the Coach, obedience becomes joy.

With you in Christ Jesus,

Rev. Patricia E. Walker

Alpha Church, www.AlphaChurch.org

PO Box 33097, Tulsa, OK 74153

Alpha Church Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Church organization

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