“Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be achieved.” – Proverbs 16:3 (Holman Christian Standard)

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” – Vince Lombardi

“When I hit rock bottom, I had an I surrender all moment – I was going to run things God’s way.” Financial expert and motivational speaker Dave Ramsey came to this conclusion when facing bankruptcy in the mid-1980’s. While I know nothing about Ramsey’s background or interest in sports, I enjoy his perspectives on money and leadership. In his book EntreLeadership, which comes out this fall, Ramsey highlights the core principles of doing business God’s way. I believe they can easily be applied to our role as coaches and influencers.

1. People Matter – Your team is not just a production line. You need to eat, live, and die for your team. Many people wonder why their people aren’t loyal to them – it’s because you aren’t loyal to them. Do you love them?

2. An Excellent Team Matters – We tell our people to hand your problems up and your positives down.

3. Slow and Steady Matters – Don’t chase every new idea. Don’t put your troops out past their resource lines.

4. Financial Principles Matter – Be generous to the team, community, and your customers. Be wise.

5. A Higher Calling Matters – The organization has to understand its why. When you play for something bigger than you, you’ll play much harder. When you’re playing for the team, God or the country, you will be surprised by how hard you work because there’s a sense of calling – that something matters.

Proverbs 16:3 reminds us that the best way to insure that our dreams and goals will be achieved is to dedicate them to the Lord. God can’t work through anxious hearts. When we find ourselves frustrated with our work, we need to stop and ask ourselves, “Whose work is it?” If it’s God’s work, never forget the burden of it is His too. You are not the important person, Christ is! Go to Him.