I really enjoy football!\u00a0 I know that is not a new revelation to those of you who attend Westlake or even those who read the blog regularly.\u00a0 However, I must admit I was turned off by a game this past Sunday so much that I couldn’t watch the whole thing.\u00a0 It was the game between the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers.\u00a0 By all accounts this was going to be a great game between two exceptional teams.\u00a0 And for the parts I could stand to watch it was a great game.\u00a0 What was so frustrating and made the game almost unbearable to watch for me was the trash talking and the show-boating that was taking place from both teams.\u00a0 Now I do not want to come off as a self-righteous, arrogant person.\u00a0 I fully recognize that there is a certain degree of this that goes on in all games across all sports.\u00a0 I must even admit to doing a little trash talking during my baseball playing days and even occasionally when playing a video game against my wife or kids (wow I feel humiliated admitting that I trash talk my wife and kids at times).\u00a0 Sunday’s game was just over the top for me, it seemed like after every play someone was getting up, pushing, shoving, and talking.\u00a0 I follow on Twitter a famous former football coach and he gave me the obligatory follow (those on Twitter know it is polite that if someone follows you, you should follow them).\u00a0 And so during the game I sent a tweet to this coach, because he is a classy guy, who by all accounts coached the right way and lives the right way.\u00a0 I thought his response to my tweet was excellent.\u00a0 He said “you can play with passion and poise.”\u00a0 One thing became clear in what I watched of the game, the Panthers did not play their best football, because it appeared the 49ers had gotten into their heads.\u00a0 Carolina’s coach even admitted after the game that his team didn’t focus the way they should during the game and as a result didn’t execute their game plan as well as they are capable of.\u00a0 But before anyone jumps on the bandwagon of bashing all athletes and talking about how disrespectful they are, I want to tell you about a basketball coach that is just the opposite.\u00a0 His name is Fred Hoiberg and he coaches at Iowa State University.\u00a0 This is a guy who his players readily admit seldom raises his voice in practice or in a game, and he is the same guy coaching as he is away from the game.\u00a0 He is a father figure to many of his players and he talks to them about more things than just basketball.\u00a0 His players say he is a man who genuinely cares about them not as athletes, but as people.\u00a0 My question is why don’t we celebrate people like Fred Hoiberg more than we do the boisterous players that frankly are obnoxious at times?\u00a0 The Bible tells us in Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”\u00a0 As Christians we are told to let no corrupt communication come out of our mouth but only speak those words that will build up and show grace to our hearers in Ephesians 4:32.\u00a0 The book of James talks about controlling our tongues.<\/p>\n
I think we as people, especially those who claim to be Christians, must be careful with the words we choose to use.\u00a0 We have all heard the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”\u00a0 I don’t know who came up with that, but that is one of the biggest lies I have ever heard.\u00a0 The truth of the matter is, words carry a lot of impact and they can either build someone up or they can tear them down.\u00a0 You’re not a leader because you have a title or you get to tell people what to do.\u00a0 You are a leader because you lead by example.\u00a0 The difference between a good leader and a bad leader is not the success he or she has in life.\u00a0 The difference is, do they make those who serve under them better because of how they lead?\u00a0 You don’t have to be loud, obnoxious, or in someone’s face to be a leader.\u00a0 You simply must set the right example by how you live.\u00a0 I am a big believer that to some degree everyone is a leader.\u00a0 The question is, are you a leader worth following?<\/p>\n
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I really enjoy football!\u00a0 I know that is not a new revelation to those of you who attend Westlake or even those who read the blog regularly.\u00a0 However, I must admit I was turned off by a game this past … Read More