Most of the time as coaches we push, push, push! Our players know we are serious about getting better as a team. We even yell and scream to get the point across because we know that sometimes a nice calm, controlled request just doesn’t get the result we are looking for. Or we might hold an extended practice to work on a specific problem so we are better prepared. But how often do we push, push, push our own selves to get better? What do we do to improve?

If you watch ants, you can see that they work tirelessly. An ant knows its job and performs it with expertise, discipline, and focus—for the good of the whole colony. What are we doing that models this approach?

How much better would our teams be if we followed the example of the ant? I’m not saying to work without vacations (I don’t believe the Bible tells us to do that); rather, I think the challenge is to not only work hard, but to become experts. Do we work hard? Probably. Are we experts? Probably not. Will we ever be experts? No. But can we strive toward expertise? Yes!

Wouldn’t it be sad to be known as a coach who was a slacker? Wouldn’t it be worse to be known as a slacker in heaven? I know there is always room for improvement—but wouldn’t it be great to be known in heaven and on earth as coaching models? We could be the ants that the heavenly Father uses as an example. The verse could go something like this, “Go to my coach, you slacker! Observe his ways and  become wise!”