Unless you choose your coach with care, you may not go far. Regardless of how much exploration is going on, you can find no destination farther than heaven, our final destination. At least, that is the supposition for our being on this page. While you will make some progress towards your destination, you will not achieve the ultimate. You may not arrive at the pinnacle of your enterprise. Not except you choose your coach with great care.
In The Spiritual Realm, Your Coach Is Your Pastor
And this is true with every human endeavor. You could be busy in sports, entertainment or academia, you will need a coach.
To achieve real success, you will also need to choose your coach with great care. Similarly, in the spiritual arena, you need a coach. And here as well, you need to choose your coach with great care. Perhaps even more so with spiritual matters. Because in matters of faith, your guards are almost always down. You trust and therefore, if you do not choose your coach with great care, there is no telling where you might end up.
Naturally, you know such coaches by various names. Pastor is the most common appellation. But they could be called priest, counselor or Pope. Whatever name you call your him or her, you must choose your coach with extreme care. And the reason for the need to choose your pastor with extreme caution is not far to seek. For our case study, we consider a prophet in the bible. His story is told in 1 Kings 13. Find time to read the entire chapter; you will find it extremely instructive
Ministers Of God Need A Coach
He was powerfully anointed by God Himself. His anointing and calling were not from some older prophet somewhere, like some you know. These modern-day priests take it upon themselves to certify you and smear you with oil. On the other hand, this prophet heard directly from God, not through angels. He was given a powerful ministry, one that gained him access into the palace. God sent him on a national ministry. Even when the king wanted to do him harm, the power of this man’s ministry returned it to sender. The king’s hand that he stretched out for the prophet’s arrest became paralyzed.
However, the mandate was accompanied by a stern warning. He was to ensure that he did not stop or eat on the way to and from the palace. The anointing of God upon his life was so powerful that the King repented immediately. He asked for healing and the man of God healed him of his paralysis. Naturally, once the King repented, the entire nation changed their ways. Mission accomplished. You would think that nothing could go wrong with such a powerful prophet of God. But you would be wrong.
He Failed To Choose His Coach With Care
Because this prophet disobeyed the second part of God’s message. He failed to choose his coach with serious consideration. He hearkened to the voice of another prophet. Granted, this other prophet had been in the ministry longer. He was more experienced, like a Superintendent, President or a General Overseer. Therefore, the young prophet judged by these outward characteristics.
He decided to make the older prophet his coach. The prophet failed to choose his coach with considerable care. This man could have asked God for a spirit of discernment but he did not. But he forgot that not everything that glitters is gold. He did not choose his coach with care. In total disobedience to God, he believed the words of the other prophet, and just because he was older.
Results Of Failing To Choose Your Coach With Care
What the prophet failed to recognize was that although more experienced, the older prophet was also a lying prophet. He went home with him. They broke bread together. Sadly, that failure to identify and choose his coach with care marked the end of his ministry. And not only his ministry, it was also the end of his life. You hear his story and you are sacred because you do not wish to truncate your life. Okay then, you have only one responsibility. Just ensure that you choose your spiritual coach with extreme care.
I wonder, what is the yardstick we employ to choose our coaches in ministry? Do we go to God, who knows the heart, and ask Him before we choose our pastor? Or do we choose based on outward appearances? His church is large, for instance; he is charismatic for another instance. He has been practicing for donkey’s years might be another reason. Or do we take time to choose our spiritual coaches with care? I hope the latter is the case because we do not want to suffer the same fate as this prophet.
Your Coach May Change Over Time
The coach you have as a little league ball player may not suffice to take you into the big league. A vocalist in church may get away with a low-level coach, who will however prove inadequate when that voice is ready for Broadway. It is the same in the spiritual realm. For instance, the coach or mentor you have in children’s Sunday School may not suffice when you want to go into ministry.
If you have God at your beginning, you may then get to a certain point in your walk with Jesus. At this point, you only desire the coach Jesus recommends. His name is the Holy Spirit. This coach will guide you and counsel you. He will remind you of things you previously learned. And because He is eternal, you can never outgrow Him. Why, He has comforting skills for those times when you are hurt. You already know that just by being alive, that the journey of life results in bruises and pains. He is the Comforter. Finally, because He came from Heaven, He knows the way and will guide you there. With the Holy Spirit, you cannot lose. You will be ready for the Rapture, qualified by Jesus.
God bless you,
