May 5, 2008 - Getting Up In His Grill

As a coach it is sometimes necessary to “get up in a player’s grill.” (For those not familiar with that phrase it simply means getting in his face.) Although most coaches do this too often it is nevertheless needed at times to get a point across.

Getting in someone’s grill can be to motivate or pump-up a player. Or it could be because the player needs a stern rebuke. Either way it shows that the coach is passionate about something and expects the player to be as well. Yet in today’s “politically correct” environment it is almost taboo to administer any type of stern correction. Yet some things are worthy of our passion and worth fighting for!

I remember as a young coach coming off of the floor at half-time. The headmaster of the school where I was coaching was sitting across from our bench. As I passed him on the way to the locker room he stopped me and said he could hear me in the huddle from his seat. I was a bit concerned at first until he said, “I like that in a coach!”

Other times the response to my intensity has not been quite as well received.

Yet Biblically we are also commanded to be in people’s grills at times. The church has it backwards though. Our reputation is one of getting in the unsaved world’s faces and ignoring each other – the typical “don’t judge me” mentality. But Scripturally we are called to love those in the world and share the “good news” with them. And we are called to be accountable to one another.

Sometimes the “in your face” approach is to motivate from a positive perspective.

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10)

Other times it involves correction!

12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” (1 Corinthians 5)

When someone on our “team” (a believer) is in sin, we have the right to get in his grill!

One of my favorite “in someone’s grill” moments took place between Paul and Peter. Peter was being “politically correct” with his Jewish brethren and distorting the Gospel message. (This is something definitely worth fighting for.)

11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; (Galatians 2) [Read the whole story there for a great lesson in the clarity of the Gospel!]

Paul decided to let Peter hear about it. The wording in English does not fully do this justice. Basically it could say, “I got up in Peter’s grill!”