Serena Williams has been one of the most successful professional tennis champions over the past couple of decades. However, she found that all her accomplishments in sports weren’t enough to keep depression at bay. During the 2011 season, she admitted to struggling with depression since winning Wimbledon. She fell into despair due to injuries and health issues. “I cried all the time. I was miserable to be around,” she said in an interview with The Telegraph.

An NCAA survey of athletes found that 30 percent reported feeling depressed for over a year. Research from the Northern Ireland Association of Mental Health suggests that competitive failure and other factors lead to psychological despair.

Despair to Hope

While Mark 5 continues with more miracles, probably none is a more powerful illustration of Jesus’ power to heal and restore than when He raises Jairus’s daughter from the dead. This was the ultimate demonstration of His power as the Son of God. It’s hard to imagine the grief and despair Jairus felt about his daughter, who died, but the lesson here is clear. God loves you regardless of your circumstances. God ultimately intends good for us even when things seem hopeless (Romans 8:26-39).

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete acknowledge their own powerlessness. They trust in God’s sovereign sufficiency to fulfill their deepest needs. Their focus is on Jesus, who transforms desperation into joy!

Bible Memory Verse – “There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.” Mark 7:15 (LSB)

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