What do teams often do if their seasons don’t go well?

They fire the coach … or somebody connected to him. Sometimes abruptly. They look for better answers in other places, from other sources … either from themselves or others who are like-minded.

How do you handle turmoil or disappointment in or around you? Where do you go for direction, support, answers?

In a world that increasingly prompts us to fire the coach, to go elsewhere for answers, direction, values, God says that something else besides our phones, our search engines, our social media support and ultimately our opinions brings the best answer.

He tells us to hold on to His instruction (Proverbs 4:13), to gain understanding (Proverbs 4:1,5), to seek wisdom (Proverbs 4:5,7). And do it like your life depends on it, because it does. Of all your options, don’t fire His good coaching.

Holding on to instruction happens when a teachable, coachable spirit grows. Gaining understanding arrives when being understood comes second and listening comes first.

And wisdom grows like wildfire when learning by more than just experience takes place, i.e., when God’s Word occupies center stage and the laws of life are learned.

So build your life around this coaching:

* GODLY INSTRUCTION

* UNDERSTANDING

* WISDOM.

Guard, support, embrace, seek and champion these things “for it is your life.”

Reflect: How coachable are you? What area of your life needs to open up more to God’s good instruction? Are you a relentless wisdom-seeker? Where do you go to get it?

A prayer to consider: Father, You are the fountainhead of all wisdom. Thank You for bringing me great instruction and understanding. It is my life. Without You, I’ll crash and burn.

Keep flooding my mind and heart with wisdom. I want and need Your Word before me. Prompt me to keep asking the question, “What is the wise thing to do?“ Coach me hard. I want to be mature and complete.

Spirit of God, help me see and follow Jesus well, “in whom is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Amen.