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Many years ago, in a former life, I was a P. E. Teacher.
Yes, I have heard most of what they say about P.E. teachers, including: “Those who can’t do, teach, and those who can’t teach, teach P.E.”
Many aspects of the work was very enjoyable, but what I enjoyed the most was seeing young people stretch themselves by trying something new. The greatest compliment I received from a student was a very simple comment made by a grade 10 girl. She was new to the school and hadn’t necessarily had a positive experience at her previous school. She came up to me at the end of the year and simply said, “Mr. MacLean, I used to hate P.E., but after this year I really like it.”
My objective was to, as best as possible, create a positive encounter with physical activity for the students. To somehow help them discover the joy of being active. And of course, to recognize what a privilege it is to be able to be physically active and participate in physical games, sports and recreation.
Actually, the best part of the job was the coaching. The young people who come out for competitive sports, typically, are keen to challenge themselves, to learn, and grow. Coaching is such a powerful means to have a profound impact in a young person’s life. Through coaching you can help a person push themselves beyond where they believed they could go – beyond where they could have gone by themselves – and accomplish some great results.
It is a great privilege to see athletes you have coached accomplish things they never thought possible, which has a powerful impact on how they view themselves and the world around them.
There is a very important principle to understand when training in sport or athletics. It’s called the Overload Principle. The principle of overload states that “a greater than normal stress or load on the body is required for training adaptation to take place. The body will adapt to this stimulus. Once the body has adapted then a different stimulus is required to continue the change. In order for a muscle (including the heart) to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working against a load greater than it is used to. To increase endurance, muscles must work for a longer period of time than they are used to.”
I believe this principle not only applies to our physical bodies, but to all of life.
God understands the Overload Principle – He created it.
Perhaps you may be feeling overloaded right now. Life’s demands, concerns and issues may feel heavier than you are able to carry. You may feel overwhelmed by what surrounds you and lies before you. You may find yourself wondering if you can handle what is going on and your cry may be for the Lord to take it all away – to set you free from what is overloading you.
I want to suggest a different perspective that you may not have considered. Perhaps your Heavenly Coach is training you. Perhaps your Coach is helping you to see that you have more strength in you than you realized. Perhaps Jesus sees far more in you than you see in yourself and He is implementing the spiritual Overload Principle to help you grow.
Perhaps He is actually answering your prayer to become a better, stronger man. He is inviting you to press on to all that He has for you. Perhaps He is training you through discipline.
Not every difficult situation in life is the Overload Principle in operation. However, I believe as we turn our hearts to our Heavenly Coach in the midst of any difficulty, and submit to His truth and His training, we will find our faith grows.
He is our Sovereign Coach in the midst of all of life’s trials and tribulation. As we surrender to His leadership and His training we will grow stronger in Him. In fact, it is not merely about you discovering that you have more strength than you thought you had, but that He is far stronger in and through you than you ever thought possible.
Yes indeed, the Overload Principle is a necessary part of life and growth.
Philippians 3:12
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
Hebrews 12: 11
“At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.” (The Message)
Ephesians 3:14-17A
“My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit-not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength-that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in.” (The Message)