Resting In Him
June 24th, 2005, 02:27 PM
The Heart of Sports
Itching Ears
By Brad Locke
June 24, 2005
(AgapePress) - One of a coach's best weapons is the rebuke. It can be administered forcefully or gently, but its goal is the same -- to correct and improve his player.
Every successful athlete has felt the sting of rebuke, but that sting is softened by its end products of good mechanics and a good attitude. That's assuming the rebuked is willing to listen to constructive criticism and turn it into knowledge and motivation.
Some athletes aren't so willing, and a spirit that prefers ignorance over learning spawns quitters and prima donnas. Athletes who only want to hear good things about themselves will never do what it takes to deserve such praise. We see this even at the professional level, usually regarding attitude. Former Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell, for instance, is a decent player, but his ego has kept him from reaching the next level. He acted like Mr. Big Shot during the playoffs ("I'd just like to thank my hands for being so great," he said) while contributing almost nothing. Then, after being cut, he said plenty of teams wanted him. He finally signed with Kansas City on June 19, and only after the butterfingered Az Hakim slipped through the Chiefs' grasp.
Another example: the Portland Trail Blazers. No explanation needed (although it should be noted that management is making an effort to bring in players who don't think they're smarter than the coach).
Athletes with selective hearing remind me of those spoken of in II Timothy 4, when Paul said certain people "will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" (verses 3-4).
Sure, Paul's speaking of a truth much greater than how to pick-and-roll or react to an official's bad call, but any rebellion against any sort of truth can be symptomatic of a larger problem. And really, when an athlete -- or anyone -- snarls at a rebuke, it reflects an inner spiritual deficiency, particularly when the rebuke is for a poor attitude. One's attitude tends to be inversely proportionate to one's ego or the health of their self-esteem. Those who reject God's moral standards do so for several and myriad reasons, but chief among them are 1) a desire for self-determination, 2) a refusal to accept one's own moral futility, and 3) a fear of failure.
To expound, our natural desire is to make our own path, because it's low-risk. The bearer of this mind-set cannot see his shortcomings for the notion that he is infallible. It's delusional.
To recognize the frailty inherent in human existence is to admit that one requires help. We all have a certain capacity for moral behavior (not to be confused with morality), just as every athlete is blessed with skill, but neither moral behavior nor skill can reach its full potential without the steady hand of a wise mentor.
Failure is inextricably tied to self-esteem for many people, but those who don't fear failure are the ones who succeed most often. You don't play not to lose, you play to win. When nothing else can cause a person to re-examine his approach and fix it, failure will often do so. It is a great teacher.
God has often used a rebuke to bring about positive change in someone's life (e.g., Job). Jesus says in Luke 17:3 that "if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him." That phrase about forgiveness is key. It lets the reader know that rebuking in this context is an act of love and compassion. To remain silent while a friend continues down a wrong path is to hate that person. If we truly care for someone and want to see them prosper, we must learn to offer that gentle but firm rebuke.
It's the right thing to do, even if nobody's itching ears want to hear it.
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/242005bl.asp
Itching Ears
By Brad Locke
June 24, 2005
(AgapePress) - One of a coach's best weapons is the rebuke. It can be administered forcefully or gently, but its goal is the same -- to correct and improve his player.
Every successful athlete has felt the sting of rebuke, but that sting is softened by its end products of good mechanics and a good attitude. That's assuming the rebuked is willing to listen to constructive criticism and turn it into knowledge and motivation.
Some athletes aren't so willing, and a spirit that prefers ignorance over learning spawns quitters and prima donnas. Athletes who only want to hear good things about themselves will never do what it takes to deserve such praise. We see this even at the professional level, usually regarding attitude. Former Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell, for instance, is a decent player, but his ego has kept him from reaching the next level. He acted like Mr. Big Shot during the playoffs ("I'd just like to thank my hands for being so great," he said) while contributing almost nothing. Then, after being cut, he said plenty of teams wanted him. He finally signed with Kansas City on June 19, and only after the butterfingered Az Hakim slipped through the Chiefs' grasp.
Another example: the Portland Trail Blazers. No explanation needed (although it should be noted that management is making an effort to bring in players who don't think they're smarter than the coach).
Athletes with selective hearing remind me of those spoken of in II Timothy 4, when Paul said certain people "will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" (verses 3-4).
Sure, Paul's speaking of a truth much greater than how to pick-and-roll or react to an official's bad call, but any rebellion against any sort of truth can be symptomatic of a larger problem. And really, when an athlete -- or anyone -- snarls at a rebuke, it reflects an inner spiritual deficiency, particularly when the rebuke is for a poor attitude. One's attitude tends to be inversely proportionate to one's ego or the health of their self-esteem. Those who reject God's moral standards do so for several and myriad reasons, but chief among them are 1) a desire for self-determination, 2) a refusal to accept one's own moral futility, and 3) a fear of failure.
To expound, our natural desire is to make our own path, because it's low-risk. The bearer of this mind-set cannot see his shortcomings for the notion that he is infallible. It's delusional.
To recognize the frailty inherent in human existence is to admit that one requires help. We all have a certain capacity for moral behavior (not to be confused with morality), just as every athlete is blessed with skill, but neither moral behavior nor skill can reach its full potential without the steady hand of a wise mentor.
Failure is inextricably tied to self-esteem for many people, but those who don't fear failure are the ones who succeed most often. You don't play not to lose, you play to win. When nothing else can cause a person to re-examine his approach and fix it, failure will often do so. It is a great teacher.
God has often used a rebuke to bring about positive change in someone's life (e.g., Job). Jesus says in Luke 17:3 that "if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him." That phrase about forgiveness is key. It lets the reader know that rebuking in this context is an act of love and compassion. To remain silent while a friend continues down a wrong path is to hate that person. If we truly care for someone and want to see them prosper, we must learn to offer that gentle but firm rebuke.
It's the right thing to do, even if nobody's itching ears want to hear it.
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/242005bl.asp