Respect for All: Beyond the Field
This week at Fauquier High School,
I had the privilege of sharing a BAM (Become A Man) principle with the Fauquier High School football team as their FCA Character Coach. These principles were developed by Head Coach Downs, and I’ve been invited to help reinforce them with the team throughout the season. This week's focus was
Respect for All.
Now, when I’m with the team, I keep things straightforward and practical. We talked about humility, self-control, and the way respect can shape their culture as a team. But because it’s a public school setting, I don’t open the Bible with them.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t a biblical foundation behind what I’m sharing. There is. So consider this the expanded version of what I taught them — the fuller truth underneath the principle.
The Foundation of Respect
The Bible is clear about where respect begins.
- Every person is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). That means their value is not earned by performance or status — it’s given by God Himself.
- We’re called to honor all people (1 Peter 2:17). Not just the ones who treat us well, not just the ones we like. All.
- Jesus raised the bar when He said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). That’s not soft. That’s strength under control.
Respect in God’s eyes isn’t something that has to be earned. It’s the baseline. It’s given because of who He is and what He’s done.
A Lesson from McDonald’s
My very first job was at McDonald’s as a teenager. I thought I was all that back then — full of confidence but short on humility.
One day we were slammed. Eight buses rolled into the lot, and suddenly it felt like the whole world wanted a burger. I decided to break protocol and load up the grill with 60 quarter pounders at once. The manager came over and started getting on me for it. I don’t even remember what she said, but I remember what I did.
I snapped. Right there in the middle of the chaos, I let her have it — loud, disrespectful, cutting. And when I finished, the customers in the dining room clapped. For a split second, I felt like the man. But then I looked over and saw her crying.
That moment hit me like a punch in the gut. Respect isn’t about making ourselves look good. It’s not about winning the crowd. It’s about valuing people, even when we disagree, even when it’s heated. That day I learned the hard way: everyone deserves respect.
Imagine If…
Imagine if in your workplace, every single person chose to give respect first.
Imagine if in your family, respect was never earned, only given.
Imagine if in your community, even the toughest disagreements were met with a baseline of honor.
It would change everything. Because respect creates space for trust. And trust creates space for influence.
Respect Is a Reflection of Christ
When we choose respect, we’re not just being polite. We’re reflecting the heart of Jesus.
Philippians 2:3-4 says it plainly: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
That’s not natural. It doesn’t come easy. But it’s the way of Christ. And if we’re going to lead — whether on a football field, in a locker room, or in an office — that’s the model we’ve been given.
The Challenge
Here’s the question I left with the team, and I’ll leave it with you:
What would change in your world if you gave baseline respect all the time – even to the hardest people?
Chew on that. Live it out. And don’t just keep it to yourself — share it with your family, your coworkers, your teammates. See what happens when respect becomes the standard, not the exception.
That’s how culture shifts. That’s how teams, families, and organizations grow strong. And ultimately, that’s how the Kingdom of God gets put on display in everyday life.
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