This past week I read an autobiography by Tamika
Catchings. That gal is not only a great basketball player, but also has had an
incredibly interesting life. The book shares a lot about her victories, but
also about her struggles/defeats… and how they have strengthened her.
One story that stood out to me took place her first
practice of her freshman year at the University of Tennessee; she was playing
for legendary coach Pat Summitt. Tamika talks about a defensive drill in which
she started out doing it her “usual way.” Coach Summitt blew here whistle and
let her know how defense was played at UT; and apparently this happened a few
times in the course of the drill… each time with Coach getting a bit more perturbed;
at one point yelling, “Catch! How many times do I have t tell you?”
One telling paragraph says this… “I was getting
frustrated. What I was doing was giving me a good chance of stealing the ball. I
was being aggressive on defense, doing what I knew to be successful for years
in high school. Pat was forcing me to do it another way I thought was not going
to be nearly successful.”
Eventually Catchings mouthed off to Coach Summitt and
realized she had crossed the line. Coach even asked her if she was going to be
coachable? Summitt said, “You need to stop being stubborn and start thinking
about the team.”
(Quotes taken from “Catch A Star” by Tamika Catchings;
pages 104-106)
So why am I sharing so much of this story? Because the
cool ending is that Tamika Catchings has been a 5-time WNBA Defensive Player of
the Year and attributes it to what she learned from Coach Summitt; and there is
an incredible life lesson here…
As a coach, a teacher, a pastor, and a dad I spend a lot
of time sharing advice, and at times giving direction. What I have found is
that the greatest danger to a team, a church, or a family is found in how we
respond to leadership, ultimately how we respond to God’s Word.
Judges 17:6 says, “In those days there was no king in
Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
I have often written about my favorite two words in
Scripture (“But God…”) and the hope they bring…. Now for my least favorite two
words to hear in life (especially from my kids), “But I…” Those two words
destroy the chemistry of the team! Those two words remove the authority of the
coach! Those two words are the most selfish, destructive words on the planet!
My fear today is that even in the church we are living as
if we have no king. It is time to take inventory of our lives to see if we are
allowing for the absolute authority of Scripture… this will then spill over to
submission to earthly authority… resulting in us being coachable… resulting in
us not always looking out for our own desires but looking to others (see
Philippians 2:3.)
Simply put: if we let the King be King, our lives will
experience great team-chemistry!
No comments:
Post a Comment