High Expectations

            High standards are everything when it comes to coaching and teaching. Players and students can only rise to the level of the standards and expectations that are set by the coach or teacher. It is difficult to go beyond this. A sponsor from Compassion International, an organization to help needy children, demonstrated the importance of having high standards through the letters she sent to her sponsored child.
            The child wrote the sponsor that he was not good at anything. The sponsor encouraged the child by writing that everyone has talents and gifts, and told him that he is special and unique because God made him and cares for him. Cheered on by the sponsor the child soon wrote back that he was the fastest student in his class. Next he told her that he was the fastest in his school. Even more reason to celebrate came when his sponsor came to learn that the child had grown into a man and was the fastest in his country. He would go on to win a silver medal in the Olympics! It was due in large part to the encouragement he received to know that he was loved by God and that he could have high standards for himself.
            Genesis 1:27 states that humans were created in the image of God and that is plenty of reason to have high standards for ourselves. None of the animals or other creatures on the earth have this distinction. Because of this we should act with wisdom and love, making and executing praiseworthy plans just as God did in creation. We should show God’s love to others because each person matters because God loves them. Just as we can have high standards for ourselves we should uplift others as well so that they can become what God would want them to be.        
            God wants the best for each of us and knows that we are capable of great things through His power. A great coach can uplift individuals so that together as a team they accomplish more than they thought was possible. All Christians are part of a team and together with God everything is possible. High expectations are important in the relationships we have with others and how we treat ourselves. Excellent coaches and teachers know the importance of this and strive for nothing less than excellence!
Reference
Stohlmann, M. (2016). The world's greatest coach. ​Seattle, WA: CreateSpace. ​