Simple Soccer System

I know this will be hard for you to believe, but I am a licensed soccer coach.I never played the game, but all three of my children did.  My husband and I both took a coaching class and were certified.  He went on and became a coach trainer and coached at State Cup level for our daughter.I was over my head about the time they turned 9, but for three years I assisted and co-coached on three different teams.I figured out I had a real advantage—I didn’t know much, so my coaching was really simple.  I was aided by my husband’s developing Simple Soccer System—he reduced all the complicated coaching into a series of three- or four-word instructions.Such as:  Defense:  Slow, Split, Side     Offense: Keep, Advance, Center, Score   Even I understood the basic tactics needed—and I could help these young kids get it too.All my teams were pretty successful—winning more than they lost.  Amazing!Jesus employed a similar approach in coaching us for living life.  Though there was great depth in all He taught, He kept it simple.  He gave us many succinct instructions:Love God with all your being.Love others as you love yourselfTreat others the way you want to be treated.Be holy as I am holy.Give thanks in all things.Don’t be afraid.  Trust me.Don’t worry.  Trust me.Be filled with the Spirit.Simple?  Yes and no.   Impossible in our own power.  But Jesus can do it, and He is quite willing to live it out in and through us.Simple.How about you?  Which of these instructions from Jesus has not been so simple for you?C2012 Judy Douglass