You’re a coach and one of your players has been taken down by a hard foul. 
He is not hurt seriously but is hurting. As you stand over him on the field, you see his hurt turn to anger. You have just a few moments to say something important. What would you say?
If you were thinking integratively, here is what you might say something like:
“That foul was really a cheap shot. It was wrong and I am sorry you are hurting. In your pain, I can tell that what you are thinking about revenge – getting back at the player who fouled you. However, as long as you are thinking about seeking revenge, you are no longer thinking about your team. You have ceased playing as a team but are playing as an individual. With that mindset, I can’t put you back in the game. For me to put you back in the game, you have to let that foul go, to be willing to be fouled with no pursuit of revenge, and focus on playing as a team.
Unfortunately, this will be just one of many times where you will be wronged in your life. Each time you will have the choice to seek revenge and “get out of the game” or let it go and “stay in the game” just like in soccer. If you learn to let this wrong go here today, it will help you do that later on in life and keep playing.
The Bible refers to this “letting go” as forgiveness. Forgiveness is a willingness to endure the consequences of another’s wrongdoing without any call for repayment. We are called to forgive others as we have been forgiven by Christ. You see, our ability to forgive is based on our experience of Christ’s forgiveness of us. He endured the consequences of our wrongdoing without a call for repayment from us. He forgave us so that we could turn and forgive others.
So will you let this go and get back in the game?”
This situation illustrates one of hundreds of opportunities coaches have to teach life lessons and biblical truth through the realm of sports. Can you imagine how it would impact this young player’s life if in fact he could let this go and experience the freedom of forgiveness? Can you imagine if this was the beginning of a foundation of learning to forgive others as he experiences the forgiveness of Christ? His whole life would be different.
However, many coaches, particularly the volunteer ones, don’t feel equipped to handle situations like this. This is why we developed 3D Integrated Devotionals.
3D Integrated Devotionals are not an end in themselves. Like drills that players learn during practice to use in the game, 3Ds are designed to teach a mindset that can be used when teachable moments like this come up throughout the coaching experience. To learn more about 3D Integrated Devotionals, click here or visit our Store.
Sports will shape people. 3Ds and the mindset they teach help coaches utilize the power of sports to shape their players toward kingdom living.
