An Expectation of Nothing Part III

NOTHING is more important than staying focused on being the best imitator of Christ you can be.

The first two blog posts in this series were inspired by former Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban’s message to his team about creating a mindset of an expectation of nothing. This was his message:

“So I gave this message, and I don't even know if I can sort of repeat it exactly right, but it was about nothing. What are you entitled to when you get up in the morning? Nothing. What should you expect from other people? Nothing. What do you get if you have an ability but don't have discipline and focus? Nothing. What do you get if you don't prepare the right way and pay attention to detail? Nothing. So, nothing is more important than staying focused on being the best you can be no matter what you choose to do.” [1]

In the concluding moments of Nick Saban’s segment on the Pat McAfee show, he explains that complacency, arrogance, and a lack of focus all contribute to the poison of expectation, with complacency and arrogance fueling the lack of focus. This blog post explores how a lack of focus developed from complacency and arrogance will hinder the discipleship process and emphasizes the need for accountability as a corrective measure in a disciple’s transformation.

Fueling a Lack of Focus

In football, a lack of focus can manifest in different forms, such as media/inward/outward distractions, leadership confusion, and disorganization, ultimately creating an unclear path to the team’s goal. The collective efforts become ineffective without the entire team's focus during the day-to-day preparation, such as film sessions, practice, and weight room. The summation of a lack of focus will lead to a drop in productivity, eventually leading to the team’s inability to win at the highest level when the game is on the line. It’s easy to see how the "poison" of complacency and arrogance leads a football team to a lack of focus. Complacency creates a sense of entitlement, where players expect to win without putting in the required hard work. Arrogance leads to a sense of superiority, where players or coaches believe they are above the need for teamwork, strategy, or dedicated preparation.

These two attitudes are an accelerant that speeds up the progression of failing focus. These two attitudes are built upon an expectation that involves a mental attitude where a person anticipates a specific result based on prior knowledge, experiences, or achievement. An expectation formed by the attitudes of complacency or arrogance will negatively shape how individuals prepare for or respond to situations, resulting in a lack of focus. A lack of focus will always cause one to underachieve versus someone who remains focused and unmoved by anticipated expectations.

Nick Saban created a culture in the Alabama locker room where his teams remained focused by keeping a mindset of an expectation of nothing. His teams embraced the expectation of nothing mindset, which led them to adopt the mindset that nothing was more important than staying focused on being the best they could be. If an American football coach can build a culture based on the expectation of nothing and get over 80 young adults to stay focused every day for six months, striving to be their best, what was the motivation for this mindset?

Tom Landry, the legendary head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, once said, “A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.” [2] Landry is alluding to the coach's job to hold players accountable for becoming the best they can be. Accountability provides the structure needed to move from intention to action. It transforms potential into results by ensuring that a vision of success becomes a reality rather than just a possibility. Accountability is a safeguard that prevents one from developing an attitude of complacency, arrogance, and a lack of focus.

Saban created a culture of keeping his team’s mindset grounded in an expectation of nothing and staying focused on being the best they could be (6 national championships/9 SEC championships). It was his culture, and he demanded his players conform. It was not just a fancy slogan or quote on the locker room wall, but it was Alabama’s way of life. He was the guardian that kept complacency, arrogance, and a loss of focus from penetrating the culture. When players did not give their best, they faced corrective accountability to help them realign. On the other hand, when they put forth their best effort, they received encouragement to reinforce their positive actions. Accountability emphasizes discipline and support, guiding players toward personal and collective success by refusing to let them slip into the attitudes of complacency and arrogance, leading to a lack of focus.

Relational Accountability

The discipleship process and accountability are inseparable. Discipleship requires guidance, correction, encouragement, and support to help believers grow in Christlikeness. It ensures that discipleship's transformation process remains consistent. Accountability strengthens a disciple’s commitment to faithfully participate in the Great Commission and pursue a lifestyle of obedience by observing all Christ commanded. The absence of accountability will leave a disciple isolated in the discipleship journey and susceptible to accepting attitudes that will accept becoming less than the image of Christ and most certainly will give way to a lack of spiritual focus. Greg Ogden emphasizes this viewpoint: "Show me someone who says they don't need the encouragement and accountability of other believers and I will show you someone who has massive blind spots and is most likely not living a focused and consistent life in Christ.” [3]

Accountability comes through an established relationship with a fellow believer who challenges you with truths you may not want to hear and helps you recognize things you may not want to see. “Discipling relationships focus accountability around life-change . . . incorporating the life of Jesus in all we are in the context of all that we do.” [4] Bill Hull says, “Accountability can serve as our best friend, even when we don’t want that friend around . . . We submit to accountability when we have a passion to please God, to avoid moral failure, or to avoid wasting away the years through neglect and sloth. Accountability means submitting ourselves to at least one other person.” [5] Accountability involves an intentional, mutually submissive relationship with another follower to ensure that one remains grounded with an expectation of nothing but staying focused on being the best follower of Jesus, avoiding spiritual complacency, arrogance, or a lack of focus.

The discipleship process and accountability are not only inseparable, but both require intentional relationships. This is Ogden’s definition of discipling: “Discipling is an intentional relationship in which we walk alongside other disciples in order to encourage, equip, and challenge one another in love to grow toward maturity in Christ.” [6] Intentional, accountable relationships go beyond surface-level interactions. Making disciples takes time, building intentional relationships takes time, and achieving accountability takes time, but time and relationships are required to reach spiritual maturity. Jesus modeled the process of intentional, accountable discipleship throughout His investment with the twelve. Jesus held his disciples accountable in multiple ways: encouragement, correction, and rebuke—depending on their needs and the situation to guide them into maturity.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answers, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:15-20, CSB). Jesus responded with blessing and affirmation that the Father in Heaven revealed Jesus' correct identity as Messiah to him. Accountability encourages. Jesus challenges his fearful disciples’ lack of faith in the storm-rocked boat; after Jesus' powerful words calm the storm, they conclude, "Even the wind and the sea obey him” (Mark 4:41b, CSB)! Accountability challenges. Jesus rebukes Peter openly in front of the other disciples when he rebukes Jesus’ teaching about his suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection (Mark 8:33). He also rebuked James and John when they asked if he wanted them to rain fire down on the Samaritan village when they did not welcome him on his way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:55). Accountability rebukes. When James and John desired to sit in high places in Jesus’ kingdom, he corrects their understanding of greatness by saying, “Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all” (Mark 10:44, CSB). Accountability corrects.

Can discipleship happen without accountability? Not if it is biblical discipleship that we are trying to obtain. In his book Follow Me, Lee Grady highlights how many Christians isolate themselves in their faith journey, adopting a “me and Jesus” mindset. He emphasizes that this conflicts with the Bible, saying, “The New Testament makes it clear that relationships, not programs, should be our priority. But today many churches have lost this relational dynamic. We must recover it if we want to become effective disciple makers.” [7] Discipleship requires intentional relationships with accountability. If the two are separated, the end result will more than likely be a disregard for participating in the Great Commission and a lifestyle marked by selective and inconsistent obedience to Christ's commands. Spiritual accountability is an intentional relationship between at least two believers focused on mutual encouragement, correction, rebuke, and exhortation implemented in love to lead one another in Christlike transformation. It challenges and supports each person to resist complacency and arrogance, guarding against attitudes that hinder growth. This commitment helps believers focus on "growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness" (Eph. 4:13b, CSB).

As a disciple, what are you entitled to when you wake up? Nothing. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

As a disciple, what do you get if you have gifts and abilities God has given you but don't have discipline and focus on what he has given you? Nothing. (2 Timothy 1:6-7)

As a disciple, what do you get if you don't pay attention and prepare yourself in the spiritual disciplines? Nothing. (Prov. 21:5; Luke 14:28-30)

So, NOTHING is more important than staying focused on being the best imitator of Christ you can be.

Bibliography

[1] Pat McAfee Show. “Nick Saban: ‘Nothing’.” Accessed November 1, 2024. https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=zysHxz5BMzk.

[2] All Pro Dad, "Our Top 10 Favorite Tom Landry Quotes," accessed November 13, 2024, https://www.allprodad.com/our-top-10-favorite-tom-landry-quotes/.

[3] Greg Ogden, Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple: Eight Sessions for Mentoring and Discipleship (Downers Grove, Il: InterVarsity Press, 2016), 81.

[4] Ibid., 79.

[5] Bill Hull, The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ (Colorado Springs, CO: Nav Press, 2006), 31.

[6] Greg Ogden, Discipleship Essentials: A Guide to Building Your Life in Christ (Downers, IL: IVP Connect, 1998), 17.

[7] J. Lee Grady, Follow Me: Make Disciples the Way Jesus Did (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2022), 31.