The Value of a Good Teacher

Think about the athlete you like the least. If the person is anything like mine, the person is arrogant, self-centered and egotistical. The person isn't grounded and assumes that their talent and skill can carry them regardless of whatever competition may come. I think it goes without saying that, in a vacuum, we don't want to be arrogant, but in sports we can forget that at times. Some teachers may teach us to be ruthless, fearless, and even careless at times. Often the winner's mentality is based on the assumption that you are the best and there is no room for doubt. When someone grows up with this mentality its easy to see why they may crash and burn when they fall. This mentality needs to be remedied early on with the choice of a solid mentor.

Unless you truly are the greatest athlete ever, there's slim to nil chance you're going to get anywhere without the guidance of those who know better than you. These people can help you hone your craft and allow you to learn from experience. Whether its a coach, a supervisor, an advisor, or a parent, these people can profoundly shape your world view in addition to your athletic ability. As responsible people, we need to examine our teachers with a broad spyglass so that we can ensure that when we allow ourselves to be molded that we come out as better people. I've definitely seen coaches who are respected for their knowledge but I couldn't dream of working under because their goals simply don't align with mine. If you allow yourself to be changed by the wrong mentor, you may end up similarly to the person we thought of earlier. This mentality doesn't stop with sports. In our spiritual lives there's no sense in attempting to live and learn by ourselves--we need accountability, coaching, and help from those who know better than us. That said, coaching does nothing if we're not ready to be molded, and we need to be sure that our coaches will lead us where it is we want to go.

And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." -- Mark 1:17

Jesus called his men with direction, purpose, and confidence. These men made a choice to follow Jesus based on these actions. When we go through our spiritual and athletic endeavors we need to be confident in our teachers designs so that when we take a leap of faith we can land in the right place. The disciples were never perfect--they often quarreled amongst themselves, questioned their master's abilities, and avoided work when it was difficult, but they had chosen a master who had also made a promise to them. As long as they would follow Jesus, Jesus would continue to work them in his amazing fashions. Discipleship isn't always a process of perfection; we have teachers because we recognize our need to improve.

The right teacher is right because they have the qualities we're willing to sacrifice ourselves in order to gain. Do not choose a teacher because you want to improve yourself; choose a teacher because you need to change what you're doing wrong. Jesus has a teacher in mind for you so that he can work to fix that which you've clung to in vain. Discipleship is a two way street to be sure; teachers choose us because they see potential in us. That said, the choice to follow is on us. Pray, search, and be intelligent in your choice so that you can be pleased with where you end up.