Today's Scripture Reading (January 24, 2021): James 1
In 2010, as NBA Basketball was
experimenting with developing "Dream Teams "of elite players,
shifting the NBA into a battle between a few super or all-star teams. The rest
of the schedule would be filled out with lesser teams who had no chance of
winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the trophy given out yearly to the NBA
Champions. Basketball legend Michael Jordan, as these teams were beginning to
form, spoke up for a generation of fans who couldn't get their head around what
was happening. "I would have never called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic
[Johnson], and said 'hey, let's get together and play on one team.' But things
are different - I can't say that's a bad thing. That's an opportunity these kids
have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."
Jordan's comment strikes a chord
with old school sports fans. In my early adulthood, I was a fan of the Calgary
Flames hockey team. The Flames' provincial rival was the Edmonton Oilers, in those
early days captained by the Great One, Wayne Gretzky. But, among Flame's fans,
there was not a wish that Wayne Gretzky played for our club. We wanted to beat
Gretzky and took a perverse joy in the moments when that wish was fulfilled. We
understand Michael Jordan when he says that he didn't want to join hands with
Larry Bird on the same team. Jordan's desire, and his joy, was held in the
moments when he had a chance to prove his worth by playing against him. I suspect
that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson would feel the same way about playing with each
other or Michael Jordan. These elites could be friends outside of the playing
arena, but they wanted to test their strengths against the strengths of the
best around them on the court.
Sometimes we consider James's words
almost counter-cultural. I mean, we want a comfortable life. Trials are moments
that we want to avoid, at all costs. Problems are a common part of life, but not
moments that fill us with joy.
Yet, it is in these moments of
trials that we prove, if only to ourselves, that we are up to the challenge of facing
the stresses of which life is full. It is in these moments that we get to
proudly exclaim that we have this. Yes, life is hard. But we are ready for
whatever it is that life has to throw at us. And through every trial, we only
get stronger.
Spiritually, we also recognize that
Satan is limited in the weapons he has at his disposal. And if he is wasting
his weapons on the trials that he is throwing at us, we must be making a difference.
Paul simply says that testing produces perseverance, and perseverance results
in maturity and completeness.
So, go and make a difference,
knowing that any resulting testing will only make us stronger and confident
that life can't throw anything at us that we can't handle.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
James 2
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