It's gotten to the point that we really don't expect sports
figures to abide by their contracts anymore. Trouble is, it seems
we treat marriage the same way.
I'm Bill McCartney... It's 4TH and Goal!
We've all seen it happen: a coach or athlete gets a better job offer
from another team. His current contract goes out the window, and
he leaves his former team behind on the way to the bank.
In his book, "Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life," the late Ricky
Birdsong points to this lack of commitment as a problem that not only affects
sports, but has a devastating effect on marriages and families.
Birdsong, who was the head basketball coach at Northwestern, cites
the situation faced by professional assistant coaches. The temptation
to "jump ship" can be intense.
Of course, losing a coach during the play-offs can devastate a team's
chances of winning. The point is, successful sports teams, like successful
families, need stable, consistent leadership that only comes from unshakable
commitments - from leaders who decide to stay together for the good of
the team.
Birdsong relates that the Latin root of the word "decide" literally
means "to cut off all other possibilities." In other words, to keep
promises, honor contracts and maintain commitments, regardless of circumstance!
The question is, men, have we made an unshakable commitment to our
wives and families? On our wedding day, most of us promised to love,
honor and cherish our wives, "till death do [us] part." Did we mean
it, or when difficult times come are we tempted to look for greener pastures?
No one pretends that it's easy to keep commitments. At times,
Birdsong admits, it just comes down to "hanging in there." He also
encourages men to find friends who will encourage them to work harder on
their relationships during tough times, instead of taking the easy way
out.
I suggest to you that we need to decide to honor our marriage vows,
cutting off all other possibilities. Consistently choosing to love
our wives should be the only option we'll consider.
I'm Coach Bill McCartney.
Source: "The Value of Commitment," Crosswalk.com/family, 1/10/01
Copyright (c) 2000 Promise Keepers.
4th and Goal - Coaching for Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney,
is a radio ministry of Promise Keepers.
Heard on more than 470 outlets nationwide, 4th and Goal - Coaching for
Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney, is a 3-minute daily radio commentary
providing men with a hope-filled approach to issues that men deal with
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teenage alienation, and marriage relationships, as well as reporting on
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