What Are You Getting?

PROVERBS 2:6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Reflection

Knowledge tells us what the rule is. Wisdom tells us how to apply it when fans are watching, a coach is demanding an explanation, and the game hangs in the balance. Sometimes our biggest challenge is not knowing the rule, it's managing frustration after a missed call, maintaining composure in a hostile environment, accepting feedback from a grader, supervisor, crewmate or fellow official and avoiding burnout during a long season.

"A sign that you are getting wiser is when you are increasingly becoming more aware of your own faults than the faults of others."  Henry Cloud

That hits close to home for officials. It is easy to notice when another official is out of position, misses a call, or struggles with communication. Wisdom causes us to examine ourselves first:

·        Did I prepare as well as I could?

·        Did I communicate clearly with my crew?

·        Was I focused in my area of responsibility?

·        Am I helping my crewmates succeed?

 

The wisest officials are the ones who continually evaluate themselves, remain teachable, and seek improvement. Our minds are continuously fed. We can consume endless criticism, negativity, social media arguments, and distractions, or we can fill ourselves with Scripture, learning, encouragement, and growth.

Great officials do not simply watch football. They study football.

Great Christians do not simply attend church. They pursue Christ.

God is the giver of wisdom—Proverbs 2:6. The quality of what we feed our minds and hearts today will show up in how we perform tomorrow. Ask God to not only to make you a better official, but to make you a wiser one.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the privilege of serving this game. Give us wisdom beyond our experience, knowledge, and preparation. Help us remain calm when pressure rises, humble when we succeed, and accountable when we fall short. Help us respond with grace instead of reacting emotionally. Give us clear judgment, sharp focus, and excellent communication.

Teach us to continually evaluate ourselves before judging others. Fill our hearts with Your truth and help us pursue growth in our faith, our families, and our officiating.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Takeaway

“An official who hungers for wisdom spends more time improving his/her own game rather than criticizing someone else’s.”