August 24, 2015 - Confidence and Control

Recently I laced up the shoes in a game in the Dominican Republic. I only played in one 5-minute stretch of one of the games… therefore not much of a body of work. In those few minutes I took a grand total of zero shots and never even made a hard cut to the basket…

Yet after returning to the States I was told that one of our players was doing an impression of me… and commenting on the confidence and control I had on the floor. Now there was a day that I would have hoped a player noticed my athleticism or my skill set; but those days are long gone. But it was pretty cool to hear that he noticed my demeanor / control on the court. It was pretty cool to know that because I had (“been there and done that”) that I could then show other players how to be aware of their surroundings and in control… (The spiritual lesson is found in Ephesians 5 when we are told to “walk circumspectly.”)

I was reminded of this yesterday when the pastor brought up the challenge to think soberly… (which is a challenge mentioned many times in Scripture.) This is accomplished via “game time” where we are actually learning how to be calm in the midst of chaos. It happens by learning “the Playbook” well enough that it dictates how we are thinking in the midst of the chaos. It happens by intentionally going into the “game of life” with more experienced “players” that can mentor us…  

Are you stepping out of your comfort zone and into the “game” so you can gain confidence?

Are you making “the Playbook” a priority in your life?

Do you have “experienced players” around you that you are learning from? (I was reminded of this truth yesterday as I drove down an interstate that kept showing this message on digital displays: Designate a Sober Driver! Do you see it that truth spiritually? Spiritual sobriety comes from experience and maturity… therefore it is imperative that we seek out those that are more mature than us to help “drive.”)