Tony Dungy
Tyndale, 2007.
Topic: Christian Living

Quiet Strength is an excellent book on Christian living and Christian priorities. Though Dungy is a football coach, an understanding (or even appreciation) of football is not required to see how the husband and father handled the conflicting priorities in his life.

Though seemingly an unusual choice for a military Christian resource, Dungy’s descriptions of the demands of his profession are sometimes eerily similar to those of a military service member. Arguably, not all of his decisions were the best, but the example he sets is admirable. He has what millions of men probably consider the most coveted of positions, that of a Super Bowl winning NFL head coach—but the reluctant celebrity repeatedly emphasizes that there’s more to this life:

Football is great…but football is just a game. It’s not family. It’s not a way of life. It doesn’t provide any sort of intrinsic meaning. It’s just football… Although football has been a part of my life that I’ve really enjoyed, I’ve always viewed it as a means to do something more. A means to share my faith, to encourage and lift up other people.

Dungy’s other thoughts on the decisions in his life often mirror those that a Christian in the military (and in particular, Christian fighter pilots) must make, including, for example, the choices he knew would affect whether or not he “fit in” (and his consequent decision not to drink, smoke, or participate in other vices).

Recommended. Quiet Strength is an excellent read for those that might want a slightly different perspective on Christian living in what some may consider an unkind environment.

This book is available from Christian Book Distributors and Amazon. (This site is an Amazon Associate and may earn from qualifying purchases made through Amazon referrals.)

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