Seeing What Can Be
“A coach is someone who sees what you can be, not just what you are.”
At this year’s World Cup, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino has embodied this truth. When he stepped into leadership, he inherited a team that needed more than tactical adjustments — it needed encouragement, trust, and a renewed sense of identity. Over the next eighteen months, he gave opportunities to players who had been overlooked, invested deeply in their confidence, and rebuilt a culture where people felt seen and valued.
Pochettino didn’t coach from their shortcomings.
He coached from their possibility.
As we discovered this weekend, Jesus does this with Peter (John 21:17-19).
Peter’s denial could have defined him. Shame could have silenced him. But on the shore of Galilee, Jesus doesn’t focus on Peter’s failure — He focuses on Peter’s future.
Jesus says to Peter, “Do you love me?"
Peter responds, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus calls Peter into leadership, into courage, into the person He knows Peter can become.
This is also the heart of Hebrews 10:24–25:
- to encourage one another,
- to call out love and good deeds,
- to gather in ways that lift people toward their God‑given potential.
Christian community is meant to be a place where people are not defined by their shortcomings but by the grace that shapes their future. A place where we see one another not only for who we are, but for who God is forming us to be.
May we become people who coach one another toward hope, courage, and calling — just as Jesus did for Peter, and just as Pochettino is doing for the U.S. Soccer Team.
Reflection Questions
- Who has “coached” me by seeing potential in me that I couldn’t yet see?
- Where might God be inviting me to look at someone’s future rather than their past?
- How can I encourage someone this week in a way that calls out their God‑given gifts?
Closing Prayer
Holy God, You see us with a vision clearer and kinder than our own. Thank You for calling us forward, for restoring us when we fall short, and for shaping us into people who reflect Your love. Teach us to encourage one another with the same grace Jesus offered Peter. Help us build a community where every person is lifted toward their best self in You. Amen.
Take a Moment to Listen
Steffany Gretzinger's song, No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus, is tender, reflective, and deeply aligned with Jesus’ patient, restorative approach to Peter.