The Hoops of Life

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 1 Corinthians 9:25, 1 Timothy 4:8 , Hebrews 12:11 , 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I had the day off today, and praise the Lord it's been beautiful here in the PDX. The sun shone through my window and woke me up. My sinuses tell me Spring is in the air. I decided to go play basketball, my most favorite thing to do. I had dreams of one day going pro. I will never forget the pep talk my uncle gave me one evening. He sat me down and told me the skill and passion I had for basketball would take me a long way if I only stuck with it and do well in school. He promised me he would be at every game, and would always cheer me on. He's an encourager, my uncle. He's really quiet and to himself, people would never guess that about him.
His words come back to me every time I pick up a basketball. I never made it to the pro's, I never played for Pat Summit. A dream lost I suppose, but maybe not. I warm up, and get to the 3-point line. Bounce the ball a few time, step, plant my feet, eye on the goal, exhale, shoot, follow through....swish. Repeat...bounce, step, plant, goal, exhale, shoot, follow through...miss. 360 times I did this. Then God spoke to me.
This is life. Sometimes we follow the exact formula and swish, or miss. But more so, it's in the formula in how we live life well. Keeping my eyes on the goal which is Christ, I step up to the line, plant my feet, breathe, shoot, follow through with the ball and either miss or swish. The team I surround myself with makes a difference my making the goal. If we are going to do well in life, we must have people on our team who will keep us moving toward the goal, and ensure the ball goes in. People who will train along side of us, and have their eyes on the same goal. People who will help keep our feet planted in the Word, and in what is right and true. People who cheer us on, and remind us to breathe.
The Bible teaches us that we are being trained in Righteousness. Training is a key word too. No NBA player is good just because. There is a standard, most of them have a role model. It's taken hours, months, and years of practice and training, of putting the body into submission. This is what we need to be doing spiritually, but we need to train our Spirits into submission to God. We step up to the line of standard. We take the gifts God has given us in our hands, and passionately and skillfully we shoot with everything we have in us shoot for the goal God has set before us.
The hoops of life....my thoughts today.