The bar is high, Coach Meyer

ESPN.com news services is reporting this morning that Urban Meyer is the new head football coach at Ohio State (thanks, Chuck). If this is true, the bar is set high for the former Florida Gator leader.

Of course there is a long-standing tradition of winning at OSU, and it is likely that Meyer would continue this tradition and take the program a long way in terms of on-the-field success. This would be a good thing, and I don’t say this just because I am a Buckeye fan.

Enough of the nonsense that says that winning is unimportant. The Bible says that people should do all things to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31; see also Colossians 3:23-24), and I wonder how in the world a football coach, who is hired to win games, can be doing his job to the glory of God if he is not striving to win.

However, as Christians, we must affirm that it is possible for a coach to be a success on the field and an abysmal failure in God’s eyes. From God’s perspective—and that’s the one that counts—there is more to being a successful coach than winning games.

In my mind, the good that Jim Tressel and his staff did in developing character in young men (regardless of how one interprets the recent scandal), and the leadership that Luke Fickell exhibited in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances, have set the bar high for Coach Meyer or anyone else who would follow in their footsteps. Higher than W’s can set a bar, in fact.

There’s an old quote that says, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” Wrong. Winning is important, but it’s not the only metric by which we should evaluate a football coach. Join me in praying that Coach Meyer will succeed in the ways that the W-L column doesn’t measure.

—Beau Stanley

Follow @beaustanley

Felix, Festus, and failure to comply

How many times this summer have we heard the phrases “failure to comply,”  “lack of institutional control,” or “failure to monitor”? Through all the headlines that have surrounded Ohio State football this summer, what became evident is that individuals failed to do the right thing. As much as I’d love to break down those issues from the perspective of a college football fan, I won’t bore you with my thoughts on the subject.

I’m sure you have noticed that we sometimes fail to do the right thing also. Those reasons could be fear of retribution. Fear we’ll be judged by others. Fear of not getting a promotion. Fear that doing the right thing could tarnish our reputations. Politicians may seek political gain through means that violate biblical principles. Athletes may take HGH to help them achieve fame and glory faster, even if that alters God’s creation. CEOs may fudge numbers or engage in fraudulent activity for financial gain.

In the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul reminds us just how important it is for a Christian “to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men” (Acts 24:16 NASB). The chapter in which this verse appears, and chapters 25 and 26 of Acts, illustrate how two individuals had the opportunity to do the right thing, but failed to do so.

The Jews brought Paul before Governor Felix based on charges that Paul was being a “pest” (24:5 NASB) and stirring up dissension. After Paul’s eloquent defense, Paul began to speak to Felix and his wife over the course of several days about faith in Christ. Felix became frightened and sent Paul away, saying he would call upon Paul when he found time. But Felix was not sparing Paul’s life by keeping him imprisoned, but rather hoping Paul would bribe Felix with money to obtain his release. He kept Paul at bay for two years hoping for a payoff!

Festus, who succeeded Felix, kept Paul in prison because he wanted to the do the Jews a favor and didn’t want to risk offending them. Once again, the Jews brought up serious charges against Paul.  Festus made the politically expedient choice to ask Paul to go to Jerusalem and be tried there. As a Roman citizen, Paul had the right to appeal to the emperor for a direct judgment, which he did.  According to Roman law, Festus had no choice but to obey the law. However, if Festus had not curried political favor, Paul could have been set free! Even King Agrippa, who arrived in Caesarea to pay his respects to Festus, acknowledged that Paul could have been set free, had he not appealed to Caesar.

As believers in Christ, Paul implores us to have a spotless conscience not only before God, but also before other men. In short, we are to show others that we are not afraid to do the right thing or speak what is right, no matter how unjustly we are treated by others, no matter the risk of losing worldly gain, such as political stature or money.

Men, do what’s right in the sight of the Lord and you will please Him. Christ died for us when He didn’t have to, yet he did so to free us from the bondage of sin in our lives. In other words, failure to comply is not an option.

—Kevin E. Davis

Tressel’s tattoo trouble

There’s an obvious and appropriate solemnity involved when we commemorate those who have died in service to our country. Memorial Day is not really a “smiley-face” holiday.

It seemed almost fitting, then, that I received the solemn news around 8 a.m. yesterday that Ohio State Head Football Coach Jim Tressel had resigned.

Yes, this is a big deal. Forget football—this news gives me and many others a deep “off-the-field” sadness. People close to me know Coach Tressel on a personal level and think very highly of him. I respect him as a man. He has built into the lives of countless student-athletes. He has sought to honor Christ by his actions. I am truly sad to see him go.

With all of the focus on Coach Tressel, I wonder if it isn’t easy for us to forget something that my wife pointed out yesterday: were it not for the short-sighted and selfish acts of certain players, we would not be talking about Tressel’s resignation today. Make no mistake, Tressel bears the responsibility for his role in this situation (which is far more clear to him than to you, me, or anyone in Bristol, Conn.). Nonetheless, his players’ poor decisions have had a tremendous impact on him.

In this chaos of commentary, men, let us not forget that there is no such thing as a personal sin. When we choose to disobey the Lord, our sin will impact others. Guaranteed. The proverb says it this way: “Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed” (Proverbs 11:11 NIV). There is no corner dark enough for us to isolate ourselves in. We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7), but our wives, our children, our churches, and our communities also reap what we sow, as Dr. Glenn McElhinney points out.

I’d like to ask you to join with me in praying for Coach Tressel and his players during this difficult time. Let’s also commit ourselves to living godly lives so that we may impact those around us positively, not negatively.

After all, personal holiness is not just a personal matter.

— Beau Stanley

Follow @beaustanley

(EDITOR’S NOTE—Thanks to Cory Estabrook for highlighting Galatians 6:7 in our discussion of the Tressel situation this morning)