Monday Morning Coaches and Armchair Quarterbacks

All across the USA on this December Monday a weekly rite is taking place. Around office coolers, in factory break-rooms, around lunch tables in school cafeterias, and in bars filled with smoke, men and women, young and old, are going over yesterdays NFL games.  Monday morning coaching and armchair quarterbacking their favorite teams. Manning should have seen this, should never have thrown that pass, Johnson should have cut sooner, Smith should have stepped out of bounds instead of trying for that couple of extra yards.  Coach should have called a timeout sooner.  You have heard and probably participated in at least one such Monday conversation. And boy how much sense what we say makes. How many games would have turned out differently had the coaches and players only had the benefit of our sage advice... yesterday. But we didn't give it yesterday, and they can't do anything about it today.  Yesterday, we did not know what we know today, so we did not have the skill, knowledge, or setting to give the advice. Hindsight they say is 20/20.  Foresight, on the other hand is often clouded at best, and a shot in the dark sometimes.  That is why they pay the coaches and players to coach and play on Sunday's. That is why nobody pays us for our advice regarding Sunday's games on Monday.

Life is a lot like football in this regard. Many people have much advice for us after the fact. If only you had chosen differently when looking for your spouse. If only you had never taken that first drink, or smoked that first little white killer. You really should have done this instead of that. You know, you have heard and probably participated in many such conversations yourself.  

I am so glad that God has given us His playbook (the Bible), and a wonderful staff of coaches (His Holy Spirit, Mentors, Pastors, etc.) to help us when it counts, during the game, not just after the fact!  If we will learn to follow His "game plan" and obediently listen to His coaching staff, our lives will be so much better. As a matter of fact, our victory is assured! It may not be an easy win, it may involve bloody conflict, and difficult challenges to overcome, but with Christ we will overcome.  We may even lose a few battles along the way, but ultimately we win. 

So what about all those Monday morning coaches and armchair quarterbacks that show up after the dust has settled to tell us what we should have done? Let them talk, they will anyway, but pay them no mind.  Their 20/20 hindsight does nothing to change the outcome of what has already happened, and honestly, does very little to prepare you for your next set of obstacles. So, let them sit around the tables, stand by their water coolers, or sit on their barstools and critique you. Yet understand the utter lack of value in what they say. Stay focused on the playbook, and keep listening to your coaches. After all they will be there before, during, and after.