Why God Wants Me to Watch the Patriots (and How Bill Belichik Taught Me to Tell Time)

Are you ever torn about how to respond to a situation?

Does it sometimes frustrate you trying to figure out if someone needs tough love at a given moment or mercy and compassion?

Yeah, me too.

This week I was privileged to hear former Celtic player, Chris Herren, talk about his book, Basketball Junkie, that chronicles his journey through drug addiction to recovery.

I was fascinated when he explained that at Boston College, he was treated with tough love for his substance abuse – three strikes and he was out. At Fresno State, his problem was treated with compassion, counseling, and understanding. Neither approach worked.

Then, his drug use was curbed when he played for the Denver Nuggets because those teammates were tough, kept him accountable, and were “all over him” all the time. Curbed but not cured. Because, when he played for the Celtics, that kind of firm-handed support was non-existent, and he lost all control of his addiction.

Wow. Chris’s testimony highlighted for me the complex nature of responding effectively to difficult situations. This morning, I read this in Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8:

That’s great but, how do we KNOW what time it is?

For that answer, I have to refer to what I’ve learned from another sports figure, Coach Bill Belichik of the New England Patriots.

You see, NFL players love football. They’re talented, fit, experienced, knowledgeable, motivated, and well-trained but in the midst of a game, they still need the voice of a coach in their ear calling the plays.


When I mentioned loving the Patriots, one gentleman teased me about quarterback, Tom Brady, being my hero.

“Brady? That kid? My hero? No way,” I responded. My football hero is the coach behind Tom Brady. Brady’s got the moves but Belichik tells him when to employ them.

Just as brilliant football players need the voice of the coach in their ears, so do believers need to be tuned in to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in order to know what response each life situation requires.

Does the person weeping at your kitchen table need a kick in the pants and the counsel to “suck it up” or does she need a hug, a listening ear, and hundred-dollar bill?

Does that teen need a break this time and grace or is this the moment to draw the hard line?

Even with ourselves, we sometimes struggle to know if we should push ourselves to work harder when we’re stressed and tired or if a rest and a quiet escape are the order of the day.

Prayer isn’t some long-distance call that should only occur when we wish to “login” with God before meetings or “log off” at the end of our morning devotions.
 Prayer should be like wearing a Bluetooth equipped helmet so that God is in our ear every moment calling the next play.
 We’re standing on the field but He’s got the long view.
 Paul was an early quarterback in the pursuit of building the kingdom of God. He tells us this in Philippians 4: 5b-7:“The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Pray about everything. Rest in knowing that the Holy Spirit’s voice is so close, no amount of chaos can drown it out when we need it most.

Left to my own thinking, it would never have occurred to me that God might want me to take some time off from serious study on Sundays to take in a Patriots game. But when the voice in your ear says, “Are you ready for some football?” and you respond by kicking back and switching on the game, surprises are definitely in order.

If I hadn’t watched some football, I might never have learned how to tell time. Observing the relationship of Coach Belichik with his players more deeply impressed on me the importance of maintaining constant contact with God in prayer than any book I’ve ever read on the subject.

Now, I rest in knowing that the best way to know what time it is is to check in with the only Coach who always knows the answer.
 To everything there is a season –tough love, mercy, compassion, even football.

Does anyone really know what time it is? The Coach with the long view knows. Tune in and He’ll be happy to call the plays in your game.