Head Coach, Jay Gruden, was fired by the Washington Redskins this morning after a 0-5 start to their season and an overall 35-49-1 record. Gruden was given a little over five years to turn the Redskins into a consistent winner, but just like the coaches before him, it didn’t happen.
Today's headline on ESPN.com reads, “Jay Gruden is Out, But Redskins' Underlying Issues Go Much Deeper.”
Dan Snyder has hired seven different coaches during his 20 years as the Redskins owner, and will hire his eighth after the season. Writer John Keim reminds us that even the highly regarded coaches such as Marty Schottenheimer, Joe Gibbs, and Mike Shanahan, didn't have winning records during their tenure with Snyder.
Since 1999, the Redskins have had only two playoff wins and have finished last in the division eight times. They are known for paying high priced free agents after the prime of their careers, drafting poorly, and being unable to find a reliable starting quarterback.
Snyder keeps changing the head coach, but the problems continue. It’s easy to see that he's the common denominator who needs to change.
Oftentimes in life, we find ourselves having issues with our careers, relationships, or other personal struggles. We’ll change jobs, switch friends, date someone new, or stop doing something we know we shouldn’t, but eventually, those same problems pop up again.
We think the answer is “firing the coach” because someone else has to be the reason for our challenges.
However, if there are similar problems that continuously show up in our lives, it’s probably time we own the reality and acknowledge that we’re the problem and “the underlying issues go much deeper.”
If we don’t really get to the core or the root of the problems in our lives, then we’ll repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Even if we do keep “changing the coach,” the results will remain constant if we don't really evaluate what’s actually going on.
The truth is, we are all broken and sinful people in need of a Savior. We need to be transformed from the inside-out and only Jesus can truly do that.
We can’t just keep dealing with the issues on the surface, but need to get to the heart of the matter. Why are we acting out the way we are? Why are certain sins trapping us? Why is a similar pattern happening over and over?
We must seek Jesus and ask Him to reveal the “underlying issues” in our hearts. Then we must surrender to Him and trust Him to do the changing. When we get to the root, the issues can be properly dealt with and our hearts can be healed.
The Bible says, "Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. 'All of you listen,' He said, 'and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart…'For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you'” (Mark 7:14-15; 21-23; NLT).
Today, let’s stop pointing the finger everywhere else and really dig deep into the "underlying issues." Let's ask God to powerfully move in our hearts...and pray, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10; NIV).
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please show me the areas of my heart that are not aligned with You. I pray I would trust You to heal me and transform me from the inside-out. I desire a healthy heart that is filled with joy, peace, and love because I know actions flow from the heart. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.Discussion Questions for PACKS:
1. What struggles in life seem to keep popping up and are going to require a deeper change?
2. How has Jesus changed your heart from previous "underlying issues" in your past?
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