Tom Landry, coach of the Dallas Cowboys for almost three decades, is quoted as saying, “A coach is someone who gets men to do what they do not want to do in order to achieve that which they have always wanted to be.”

Encouraging people to be better, that’s what Tom Landry thought a coach ought to do.

In Acts 2:37, Luke records this scene: “When the people heard this [the story of who Jesus really is], they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” Peter told them to repent and be baptized.

Throughout the Old Testament, there are verses encouraging God’s people to proclaim who He really is. Psalm 92:2: “Proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night” (New International Version); Isaiah 43:21: “The people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (NIV); 1 Chronicles 16:23: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day” (NIV). The list goes on and on.

The word “proclaim” comes from the Latin words pro, which means “before, for, forward, in place of” and clamare, which means “to cry out.” Going before someone, shouting an announcement. Like a page going before the king telling everyone he is coming.

I believe that is what God is calling us to with our online presence. You see, when Jesus walked the earth, He saved His condemnation for those who deserved it: not the sinners, whom He came to save, but the hypocrites who thought they were righteous but were really just “white-washed sepulchers.”

Jesus knows sinners are lost. He knew there is no hope for them outside of His love and forgiveness. He has compassion on them. But He has no tolerance for those who claimed to be righteous, because they should know better. He doesn’t expect sinners to act like saints. Why do we think we should be any different?

John 3:16 is a very familiar verse, but how many people remember there’s a verse that follows: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

There’s a lot to gripe about these days. Christians feel that they are being targeted as a hate group. The world is sliding further and further down the slope of sin. But our job, as the Westminster Catechism tells us, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We can’t glorify if we’re griping.

I think a healthy dose of Psalm 34:3 is what we all need: “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (King James Version).

Guest Post by Stephanie Reeves

I have been on staff for 28 years, all of it with Worldwide Challenge as a writer, editor, production manager and copy editor. I am married to JESUS Film Project staff member David Reeves and have three children. Writing and helping others communicate better are my ministry passions! I’m also an avid Mac user and can’t survive without my Macbook Pro, iPad  and iPhone. You can find me on Twitter as stephcreeves, on Facebook as Stephanie Allan Reeves and read myblog, Compelled, at http://www.stephreeves.wordpress.com.

Source: This drawing of a herald is in the public domain and is available on Wikimedia Commons.