Where are you supposed to be?

Coach Barney Hester.

A gold standard in the high school football world, and a name that carries a lot of weight around here.

I had the privilege of playing football under Coach Hester for a few years. Now, I know what you’re thinking:

“Bet this guy lit up the scoreboard.”

Well… not exactly. At a solid 120 pounds, I had the heart of a lineman and the build of a kicker’s little cousin. I was one of those players that brought a ton of energy… just not a ton of mass.

But Coach Hester coached more than just athletes. He shaped men. He led as both our football coach and our head of school, and the seeds he planted in me are still growing today.

One question he asked stuck with me more than any post-game speech or locker room lesson. It was simple….

“Where are you supposed to be?”

At first glance, it sounds like something a hall monitor would ask. But if you lean in a little, it’s actually a question loaded with purpose.

It’s a question rooted in love, in protection, in wanting you to live a life that actually wins… not just on the field, but everywhere it counts.

Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.

Because the “where” matters.

In fact, if I made a list of my biggest regrets, I’d bet nearly all of them happened when I was in a place I was never supposed to be.

Take King David. Giant-slayer. Worshipper. “A man after God’s own heart.” And yet, even he had a moment where being in the wrong place unraveled a lifetime of victories.

2 Samuel 11:1 says

“ In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”

Let that sink in… David should’ve been on the battlefield. But instead, he stayed home. Took a rooftop stroll. Saw something he shouldn’t have. And from there, came a scandal that changed everything.

One moment out of place led to a mess of a lifetime. Because where we are physically, emotionally, spiritually… It matters.

So in the words of Coach Hester:

Where are you supposed to be?

Are you where God has called you? or are you lingering somewhere comfortable, somewhere convenient… somewhere costly?

Do you spend time in His Word? Do you seek His presence, or just pass through it?

Let me remind you:

Where Jesus is… is where the victory is.

Power, freedom, purpose — they’re all found in His presence. So if you’re looking for your next step, your breakthrough, or just a solid place to stand…

Start by asking the question:

Where are you supposed to be?