The Shot that wouldn't fall!

The Shots that wouldn’t fall.

This week was a fun week for me as I had an opportunity to play basketball with my friends over at a local gym. I must warn you that I had been off the court for about a month or two so I was expecting to be a bit rusty. Additionally my fancy black Jordan sneakers where beginning to show signs of wear. Yet I didn’t have 100- and up dollars to invest on the pair of shoes I really wanted, but enjoyed the time in fellowship none the less. I took the court and seemed to be able to get open using my speed and athleticism.

I ran for open layups and three point attempts that I thought should’ve normally went in, but they didn’t.  In the past months I knew that I had developed a reputation for being a scoring machine and often my teammates needed my contributions to secure the win.  The more I missed, the more aggressive I became in my attempts. I would slash and cut my way to the basket for a close shot, but it wouldn’t go in. I was getting worried…..I felt like I was letting my teammates down.

I began to turn the ball the over to the other team. In back of my mind I was pleading “Lord let me have the confidence to make these shots”! 

Frustrated with my play I stopped shooting and set a pick for another teammate who made the shot. The next play I was able to steal the ball and pass it to another teammate for some points. Running back down the court my teammate looked at me and said “we can win this”.  At that time I felt I had received a lesson for the day that I thought I would share. Sometimes the best contributions that we truly make are not visible or necessarily the ones we prefer. I was drawing a double team in offense, but had advantages on defense. On the offensive side I was getting multiple assists…I could spread the floor by cutting to the basket and then finding the open man. The rebounds and steals I was getting were contributing to the team…..I didn’t have to score a bunch of points!

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.

The point behind that verse is to illustrate that Apollos made a contribution, Paul did a portion and then God gave the increase for his glory. Imagine if Apollos would’ve been visibly mad because he didn’t accomplish what he thought he should’ve in his mind. The end result is that God gives the growth and gets the glory! It no longer becomes a matter what we accomplish in ourselves.  Often times in ministry and in our journey called life we carry expectations inside of our own mentality instead of the reliance on God.

We have no clue the results or effects of the contributions we make amongst each other. When we develop a mentality to contribute at the capacity God would have us to and not what we would prefer it to be, the glory can truly be his whether we are around to see it or not.  Just my thoughts today- Be Blessed