God's Coaching #325

God's Coaching #325

Drivers in NASCAR gain all the fame and become household names, but it’s the pit crews behind the drivers that make them great—or not. Without the pit crew’s mechanical wizardry to keep the cars running their best, the drivers might as well be steering go-karts. Just ask Jimmie Johnson. The driver of the No. 48 car came into the 2010 season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, trailing Denny Hamlin in the overall NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points race. Jimmie had won four straight NASCAR titles, but only twice in history had the leader lost his lead in the final race. It looked like J.J.’s streak might be over.

Jimmie’s team struggled early in the race, botching one pit stop. But crew chief Chad Knaus came through when it mattered most. Calling for a crucial adjustment, the fine-tuned No. 48 allowed Jimmie to move from 11th place to second in the final 69 laps. By claiming second, Jimmie earned enough points to achieve his record-breaking fifth-straight Sprint Cup championship. Denny took 14th in the race and settled for second overall.

What’s the Score?

Jimmie’s fifth-straight Sprint Cup championship was a victory for the whole team. The Bible says we need others to help us be successful living for God. Ecclesiastes 4:12 gives us a great word picture. Have you ever looked closely at a rope? Instead of one solo strand, it’s actually several cords braided together. The rope is way stronger when all the bands are wrapped together.

People are the same way. We all need at least one close friend we can trust to give us solid advice and encouragement. It’s called accountability, and it means walking together toward the same goal of living for God. A friend we’re accountable to is someone we can be totally honest with. In other words, we can freely talk about our hopes, dreams, struggles, failures, and successes. Friends like that won’t laugh at us; they’ll encourage us to keep going for God. An accountability partner keeps us fine tuned—just like a NASCAR crew chief.

On the Ball

Who has your back? List your most trustworthy friends, and talk to them privately about pursuing God together. You might set a goal of memorizing some Bible verses or reading parts of the Bible together.

Friends:

Coach’s Comment

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12