Tony Dungy, Dabo Swinney on how they follow Christ while leading a team

“I was going to build Blazer Nation,” the Alabama native said, beaming, “and we’re going to beat everybody. I mean, my car was packed. I was coming home.”  Dabo credits his faith with providing a foundation in his life that is grounded in three tenets. Keep your eyes on the Lord in good times and bad. Believe. Don’t ever quit. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/college/longhorns/article/clemson-dabo-swinney-faith-football-20206059.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

I want to talk to you today about Joy In The Journey. Too often we’re going to enjoy life when we accomplish a goal, when the kids are raised, when we get the promotion. “Joel, when I lose 10 pounds, when I get through this problem, then I’ll be happy”. Our joy is always in the future, when we cross the finish line. The problem with this approach is there’s always some reason we can’t be happy. Something’s going on that’s causing us to be stressed, uptight. But the key is to find joy in the journey. You’re not there yet, you’re still waiting for things to improve, still believing for the promise, but in the meantime you’re enjoying where you are, while you’re on the way to where you’re going. If you’re so focused on the finish line, what’s not working out, this trouble at the office, then you’ll miss the beauty of this day. You won’t laugh at the funny thing your child does, you’re too busy, got to get them dressed, feed them breakfast, get them to school. You won’t enjoy your spouse, you’re too busy trying to fix them, focused on their flaws. When they improve, then you’ll have fun together. I know people that hurry through the week, they don’t like going to work, dread driving in the traffic, have to put up with this cranky co-worker, they can’t wait ’till the weekend gets here. How much of your life are you missing, trying to get to the next thing, what you think is better, then you can be happy? Try a different approach: instead of rushing through what you don’t like, trying to get to the next goal, slow down and find the joy in the journey. Look at all the good things in your life right now. Don’t take for granted the people God’s given you to love. They may not be perfect, but neither are you. Enjoy this husband, “He gets on my nerves”, I bet you get on his nerves too. Some people would love to have your husband, they’d give anything to have that man. I see a lady holding up her husband’s phone number, that’s how she’s going to get joy. “Well, these children, there’s so much work, all I do is cook, clean, run them errands”. Do you know how many people are not able to have children? They do anything to have those kids. What you see is common is really uncommon. What we think is ordinary is really extraordinary. “Well, it’s Monday, I have to go to work”. Try a different approach, “I get to go to work. I have a job. I have income. I have resources”. “I can’t stand driving in this traffic, it’s so stressful”. How about, “I get to drive in traffic, I have a car, I have opportunity”. “I got to clean the house again today, that’s the story of my life”. No, “I get to clean the house. God’s blessed me with a place to live”. #Christian books If you have the right perspective, you’ll find joy in the journey. “Not in my dream house yet, but Lord, I’m grateful for this apartment”. “Haven’t met the right person yet, but Lord, I’m grateful being single”. “This place I’m working is not where I want to end up, but Lord, I’m grateful that I’m employed”. See, the enemy would love to deceive us into enduring life, not enjoying life. Having children not enjoying them, being married but not enjoying it, having a house, job, opportunity, but always some reason we’re not happy. We’ve got to get to that next thing, then we’ll enjoy life. Now, you have to learn this principle: there is joy in your journey. There are things in your life right now that you can enjoy, if you’ll have the right perspective. Paul said in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever things are wholesome, good, pure, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things”. It’s significant that he used the word “If”. “If there be any virtue”. He was saying, “You have to look for the good”.In your family look for the good. In your spouse, yes, you can point out 23 flaws, how about looking for the good? In that challenge, maybe a lot’s coming against you, look for the good. God is sustaining you, people are encouraging you, this one area has improved. If you’re going to find joy in the journey, you have to look past all the wrongs, and see the rights. And sometimes it’s just the fact that you shouldn’t still be here, the opposition should have taken you out, the sickness should have defeated you, how you were raised should have held you back, but you can say, “Lord, thank you that I’m still standing. Thank you, that I still have air to breathe. Thank you, that you’re still for me.” no, it hadn’t turned around completely, but you can thank him that you have the grace for this day. Luke 24, Jesus had been crucified on a Friday. That Sunday two of his disciples were walking from Jerusalem to a city called Emmaus. You can imagine how discouraged they were. The man they had followed given their life to was now gone. As they were on this journey, talking about everything that had happened, the wrongs, the betrayals, the heartache, Jesus came up and started walking with them, but they didn’t recognize who he was. He was in a different form. Jesus asked what they were discussing, and why they were so concerned? They said in effect, “Where have you been? Haven’t you heard? They’ve taken our Messiah, and crucified him. Now we’re without a leader”. Jesus began to talk to them about what the prophets had predicted, how he had to come and be crucified, that he would be raised on the third day. Verse 27 says, “He explained what the scripture said about him”. What an…

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