Bottom of the Ninth #82 - Well Coached, Forgiveness

by Keith Wahl

(PLEASE CLICK THE VIDEO BEFORE READING)

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." - Matthew 6:14-15, ESV

Isn't this the truth of our culture now? We are absolutely unforgiving, especially to coaches. If a coach doesn’t put a player in the game, on the right team, or does something that is perceived as negative, “the coach sucks.” Coaches live under the expectation of perfection at all times. Ironically, I had a privileged position to be a part of one of our coaches forgiving one of his college coaches after harboring ill will for many years.

A few years ago, a few members of our baseball coaching staff traveled to a university for a coaching development trip. As we were preparing, one of the coaches traveling with us noted that the pitching coach at that school was his pitching coach in college. For a variety of reasons, our coach was harboring bitterness towards this particular coach - “that coach sucked.” As we discussed this bitterness, it became clear that this was an opportunity to live out the teaching from Matthew 6 - forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us. I still remember our coach spending extra time with his college pitching coach seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. The peace that resulted from releasing that bitterness was a gift to everyone involved. Christ’s word proved true.

Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ also says this:

Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”

Seek forgiveness and reconciliation before presenting your offering. We often get this backwards as well, seeking forgiveness from the Lord before seeking forgiveness from our brother. God seems to care more about our relationship to each other than he does our offerings to Him. Let us move forward today, keeping short accounts with each other, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with our fellow man, and show that we are well-coached.