Sometimes statistics can be a bit misleading… especially when we lose sight of what it really means to be a good player…
This past NBA season ended with the Denver Nuggets on the championship podium. They had great contributions from many players in the playoffs with 6 guys averaging double figures in scoring… their biggest star, Nikola Jokic, came close to averaging a triple double for the playoffs (30 ppg, 13.4 rbg, 9.5 apg.) Nikola is a phenomenal player yet he also led the team in turnovers per game at 3.5 per game…
In the meantime, there were 3 Nuggets that averaged no turnovers per game for the entire playoffs… BUT… the three of them combined only averaged .5 ppg, .8 rbp, and .4 apg! You see those three guys spent most of their time on the bench, and we measure how effective a player is being by what he contributes, not by what he avoids.
Simply put, Nikola did lead the team in turnovers because he handled the ball the most… the offense flowed through him… and, in the words of John Wooden, “the doer makes mistakes.”
I fear that in church circles we spend too much time just focused on the “do nots” instead of the “dos”! We say things like “he’s a good Christian boy, he doesn’t…” (fill in the blank.)
We were set free at salvation and told to be sanctified… set apart… but remember these truths:
James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving yourselves.
I love the way the NASB puts it: But prove yourselves doers of the word…
Galatians 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Our set apart lives were never intended to be sitting on
the bench and averaging no assists… we are called to Go MAD (Make A Difference)
in the game! And sometimes that may even mean we mess up…
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