We all reach those moments during the fight, where we are slumped in the corner… beaten and bruised

Outside of the important task of stopping the bleeding, do you ever wonder what is said by a coach to inspire their fighter to get up and step back into the ring?

For a moment, lets put ourselves in the gloves of a fighter who is nearing his end, seeing double and ready to throw in the towel; what would we need to hear to get back up and go toe to toe with a powerful rival who awaits with one intent?

Here is the reality, we are facing many rounds throughout our day, and while we may not shed any blood on the outside, we surely are bleeding within. Our hearts are beaten down and often, we are ready to give in. The fear and self doubt a fighter feels after getting hit hard is all too familiar to us. Like this fighter, we too are in need of some serious Motivation.

The greats all had two things in common, neither of which is the perfect record we seem to think or expect of ourselves.

Firstly, they had a deep determination within to keep going; to get up no matter how hard they got knocked down. A loss for them, only drove them to train harder; growing through their missteps and leaving no room for self doubt… a champion simply keeps pushing forward

Secondly and of greater importance, was the coach who stood behind them… no matter what. One who believed in them, who tended to their wounds; both physically and emotionally. When needed, acted as their support to stand, and then provided the stool when they needed to sit. We can be motivated by a lot of things; our desire to be the best in our weight class or to have the most followers; but know this… none of that matters when you’ve just taken a blow so hard, you are laid out on the mat. The only thing that will keep you going in that moment will be the set of eyes staring into yours as you collapse in the corner; saying the words you need to hear, and providing the immediate treatment you require.

Make no mistake, this can and will include moments when He throws in the towel for you and says you’ve had enough. He cares enough about you to look past the short term win today, so you will be able to be one of the greats tomorrow.

The question is, are we even retreating to our corner between rounds? Or are we the cocky fighter who thinks we know best and are on course to learn a real hard lesson…

And if we are taking those critical moments with our Coach, what exactly does the conversation look like? Are we so busy complaining about our rival’s cheap shots, or the noise in the building, that we are failing to listen to the advice He is patiently waiting to give? Remember, He is intently watching each and every move within the ring. He has the unique perspective to identify this opponent’s weak spots… and ours. You see, our Cornerman is also a fighter; The Forever Reigning Champion. Truth be told, he already fought the one we now stand against and won by a landslide; Actually, Colossians 2:15 tells us He ‘disarmed… put to shame… and triumphed over‘ many.

He is the Coach for a reason; to provide you and I valuable insight that is going to save us from some devastating hits and carry us to our…

Core Victory