The Standard is The Standard
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:12-14
Mike Tomlin is a professional football head coach. He began his tenure in 2007, and has held it with the same organization, spanning over 17 years. This is quite an unusual feat considering that the average tenure of a head coach is just over 3 years. What is even more amazing is that in each of those 17 years, he has never had a losing record. In the history of professional football, only one other coach has had a streak as long. When asked about his philosophy that has gotten him to such great heights, it is remarkably simple. He says, “The standard is the standard.” It focuses on setting lofty expectations for each member of the team that each person, regardless of circumstances, is expected to meet and exceed a certain level of performance.
As Christians, we often face situations where we are asked to meet a higher standard. This is not to say we are perfect by any means. Nonetheless, we live by the personal example set forth by Jesus Christ that we are expected to meet. This feels unfair when we see others who choose not to follow such a road map or seemingly do things right sometimes and entirely wrong the other. This might be an appropriate time to ask why that is the case. Why do we need to behave, act, or do things even when others have chosen not to? Why do we have to turn the other cheek? Why do we have to tithe? Why do I have to pray for my enemies? I would care to gather that Mike Tomlin understands this very well because he has said that his coaching style is based on the Christian maxim that, “Humility is confidence properly placed in God.” No wonder it is easy for him to say, “The standard is the standard.”
Being followers of Christ means we strive to be better but does not make us inherently better. The words of Paul to the Colossians are clear instructions on how we should treat others regardless of their beliefs. Something that has struck a chord with me is how people typically respond to grounded Christians and mention they talk to us because of their trust level. Now, I know many Christians who I consider trustworthy, and I wondered why they trust us. Ultimately, I concluded that because many of us do our best to walk the path God would have us walk, they feel more comfortable talking, knowing that we will be honest, forthright, and non-judging. Our word means something to them. When we follow Christ’s example fully, we have far greater credibility. Thus, it is essential that we do not violate that trust. This is what often gets us in trouble.
When we fail to meet that standard, it is important that we not only take accountability for our shortfall but also work diligently to be better. Pointing to others’ failings should never be a response to our own. A far better Christian response is that we failed, own it, and seek forgiveness through Christ and those we have wronged. Nothing outside of those parameters matters. Will our detractors at times be hypocrites? Yes. Does it matter? No. Our relationship with Christ takes precedence over all others.
Being a Christian can be challenging. There is a reason Jesus said, “But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:14) But our reward is not meant to be enjoyed here during this life anyway. He elaborated on this saying, “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” It is understandable that we might not like it at the very moment. What I found is that it is rewarding beyond the moment. One ‘enemy’ actually became a very good friend of mine through following this very principle. So let us do what God expects and trust Him. In what areas of your life could you shift your perspective from focusing on what others do to aligning what God expects of us? My prayer is when in doubt, we always look to God remembering the standard is the standard.