God's Coaching #164

God's Coaching #164

Muscle-bound jocks often ask each other, “How much can you bench press?” Nobody asked Bill Gillespie that, because his answer would have just made anyone else feel like a weakling. Bill worked as the head strength and conditioning coordinator at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. As of 2010, he was a 40-time world-record holder and a 17-time world champion in the bench press. The bench press is a weight-lifting competition where competitors lie on a flat bench and push a bar of weights up from their chest.

For a little perspective on Bill’s power, the average teenage boy would do well to bench-press his own body weight. The 200-pound plateau is a highly coveted mark among many high school athletes. With that in mind, consider this: in 2009, at the World Cup Bench Press and Deadlift Championships, Bill set an age-group world record by bench pressing 804.5 pounds. That’s the equivalent of lifting four full-grown men stacked on top of each other. Even more amazing, he did it at age 49!

Ever since his childhood, Bill had wanted to become the strongest man in the world. He started weight lifting at age 14 and devoted much of his life to building physical strength in himself and others, including football players for Liberty, the University of Washington, and the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

What’s the Score?

Bill was a muscle-bound marvel of power and strength. But even he had his limits. He never bench-pressed a car or a grown elephant. Even the strongest man in the world can’t do everything he wants.

God’s power, though, has no limits. He is omnipotent, which means all-powerful. “Nothing is too hard for you!” Jeremiah 32:17 says. Think about that for a moment. That knowledge can change your life. There is no living being or force of nature that is outside of God’s control. By his limitless power, God created and sustains the universe, rules over all living beings (including angels, demons, and Satan), and raised Jesus from the dead. Most gloriously, this same infinite, incomprehensible power can change us from sinful rebels to sanctified children of God, bound for heaven. What should our response be to this? To worship the all-powerful Lord God Almighty! He alone is worthy of our praise.

On the Ball

Think about the many ways that God’s power is evident in your life: he keeps your heart beating, provides daily food for you, and gives you the ability to play sports and learn in school. Now do as many push-ups as you can, praising God for a different part of his power during each push-up.

Coach’s Comment

O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! Jeremiah 32:17