August 1, 2016 WWJWMTD by Steve the son of John

Character Building

Playing Basketball and Being a Christian

I’ll tell what’s wrong with lukewarm Christians today, they do not know how to play basketball. There are a lot of similarities between playing basketball and being an ‘On-fire Christian’. Let me explain…

Things have changed for the Christian over the past 2,000 years. Gospel truths still apply but cultures have changed dramatically and not for the better. Christians need passion, sincerity, and the ability to play spiritual basketball in today’s world.

Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in December 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts to condition young athletes during cold months. Naismith also was a Presbyterian minister and a military chaplain during WWI during his career as a coach.

Basketball originally consisted of peach baskets, a soccer style ball, and had only 13 rules for the game. The objective of the game was to throw the basketball into the fruit baskets nailed to the lower railing of the gym balcony. Every time a point was scored, the game was halted so the janitor could bring out a ladder and retrieve the ball. After a while, the bottoms of the fruit baskets were removed. The first public basketball game was played in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 11, 1892.

A typical forward on a college basketball team runs about 10 miles per game. It takes conditioning and stamina to play hoops. Any good player learns to play offense, defense, one-on-one, man-to-man, zone defense, and the list goes on.

If one learns the game you have to be able to play solo as well as with a team of five players. Sometimes you are the only one playing offense against the other team on any given play such as defending your basket against an aggressive offensive team of five. A player is called upon to play many roles during the course of a game.

Your walk with Christ is just the same. You are expected to war against the evil one by playing defense and offense. Sometimes you have help from others in the Body of Christ (your team members) and sometimes you are on your own. You can cry out for help to your teammates but more than often the action is happening so quickly that you are on your own much of the time.

You are going to get tired. The coach (as God is sitting on the sidelines) watching and seeing what He can call or direct others to help you. It’s not easy switching from defense to offense so quickly, it’s not easy to keep running, and it’s not easy to work as a team and yet playing solo when the need arises.

You will get injured. The audience (Body of Christ) will always have advice or criticism for you. If you are successful, others will be jealous of you and the favor you have with God. The only difference is, you do not get paid till Christ comes back and God does not like a ‘cocky-player’ but helps the player who is humble.

Too many Christians want to play defense or offense but not both, or they like to play alone, while others only will play if they can play as a team—running plays and each doing their fragmented part. God (coach) expects us not to give up no matter what the score is and/or whomever you are playing with. In basketball the coach chooses the team not you.

You want to be Christian on fire for Christ, first start attending some college basketball games and then start playing/serving Christ with the same intensity. If you do this you will learn what God expects from His servants—from His spiritual basketball players. God does know the score at the end of life’s game, but He is not telling you nor I how much we will score during life’s game. He expects us to play with passion, commitment, determination, and gratitude.

WWJWMTD

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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