After the Men’s Meeting last night, I returned home and watched two different basketball games. In the first, my beloved Memphis Tigers struggled (again) from the free throw line and faced losing the game. Down one with 4.5 seconds left, we turned to Antonio Anderson – a senior who had played horribly all game long. Antonio drove the length of the court straight at Tulsa’s seven foot center and banked in a layup just before time expired. In the second, Kentucky blew away Tennessee. You will remember my priorities: I pull for the University of Memphis and whoever is playing Tennessee. Kentucky’s victory was sealed by one of the greatest performances in college basketball history. Their guard, Jodie Meeks, connected for 54 points. Almost everything he threw up toward the basket went in.
The goal of Christian living is the same as the goal of college basketball: to win. Paul uses racing imagery and boxing imagery to know that we are in a process and that our goal is to obtain victory. Sometimes we struggle. When we do, it is often frustrating to look around to see a star. Life seems to be coming easy for them; they seem to be making incredible progress without much apparent effort. If we are honest, however, there are times in our lives where it also comes easy. Maybe not on the order of Jodie Meeks – but few people ever attain that level. For us, the better comparison is Antonio. A player who had struggled all game long – whose shot was not falling, who couldn’t hit a free throw. Yet, in the final timeout prior to the last 4.5 seconds, he asked the coach to be the one with the ball. Even when we fall; even when we struggle; we should always be ready to ask the Lord to use us for His glory.
