On Monday, the Carolina Panthers decided to move on from head coach Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start to the season. It might seem early to make a big move like this, but he was already on the hot seat, and owner, David Tepper, had seen enough. The Panthers may not be the only team to make a coaching change this season or after the season. Through five weeks, we have seen a handful of teams such as the Colts, Broncos, Commanders, and Cardinals underperform, play embarrassingly badly at times, and lose games they didn't expect to lose. For various reasons, these teams have struggled and it has fans and front offices wondering if the right head coach is in charge. That means multiple coaches find themselves on the “hot seat” and essentially coaching for their job the rest of the way. With the Colts 2-2-1, head coach, Frank Reich, needs his team to at least make the playoffs so he has a chance to stick around. Washington was able to win an ugly game last night against the Bears to move to 2-4. The win helps a little, but head coach, Ron Rivera, has to turn his team around if he expects to be back next year. In his third year with the team, he has a 16-23 record, and things in Washington seem very tense and concerning. The Broncos have a new head coach, Nathaniel Hackett, and so far they've gotten off to a rough start. Denver had very high expectations for the season, so they will consider going in a different direction if things don't start clicking soon. Lastly, Arizona is 2-3 and head coach, Kliff Kingsbury (in his fourth season), needs to figure things out to remain with the Cardinals. His overall record is 26-27-1. These coaches must feel immense pressure as they hope to keep their jobs and do what it takes the rest of the season to prove worthy enough to stick with their respective teams. “Coaching for your job” is an interesting concept to think about. Coaches are obviously judged by their success when it comes to wins and losses. Each franchise sets a standard for its team, and when that standard isn’t met, they tend to blame the head coach and get rid of him. Basically, all coaches are “coaching for their job” – even though some are looking over their shoulders more than others. There is tremendous stress involved, as the burden is placed on them to perform at a high level continually, and failure is never an option. Having your job hang in the balance, based on how well 22 football players do on a Sunday afternoon, must be brutal. With every move being put under a microscope, coaches are constantly feeling judged and know fans only love them when they’re winning. If we’re honest with ourselves, we can also get caught up in the mentality of “coaching for job” from a spiritual standpoint, even though we’re really not. The truth is, God immeasurably loves us and offers us tremendous grace regardless of our performance. Unfortunately, our motivations and attitudes sometimes indicate that we don’t believe that or we lose sight of it. Instead of resting in God’s goodness, mercy, and the reality that our salvation is secure because of Jesus (His death and resurrection), we act like we have to perform for His love by always doing more. We continuously carry the weight of wondering if we’re doing enough while thinking God is just waiting to “fire us.” Instead of living with freedom and confidence because of His free gift of salvation, we allow legalism, a performance-driven mentality, or shame to take over. Thankfully, we find the truth in Ephesians 2:8-9 (AMP): “For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves , but it is the gift of God; not as a result of works , so that no one will boast or take credit in any way .” Of course, He’s inviting us into a life of obedience and has called us out of sin, but He does so because of His love. We must pursue holiness and stop looking over our shoulders and worrying if we’re doing enough. God’s not out to get us and doesn’t expect us to be undefeated. Instead, He wants us to trust Him and rest in His love. 1 John 4:10 (AMP) tells us, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins .” Psalm 103:8 (ESV) gives us this promise: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Today as we seek to live for the Lord, let’s rest in His grace and love…and remember we are secure in Him and not “coaching for our jobs!” I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me not to let stress and worry drive my actions, and put undue pressure on myself to perform. I pray I’d find rest in You, and allow Your love and grace to give me peace and joy. I’m thankful my salvation isn’t based on my effort. In Jesus’ name, I trust and pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. In what ways do you get caught up in your own performance? 2. What is your understanding of resting in God’s love and grace?
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