Today’s Bread ~ The Dallas Mavericks

Philippians 3:14 – I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

Sunday, June 12^th, 2011 is a day forever etched in North Texas history as The Day of Redemption for the Dallas Mavericks.  After sweeping the Lakers in four games, roaring past the Oklahoma Thunder in five, they beat the Heat in six nail-biting contests to take home the NBA Championship.

I’m not the biggest sports fan you’ll ever meet, but I did grow up in a basketball home.  I knew the Indiana Hoosiers fight song before I knew my ABC’s.  I have vivid and somewhat frightening memories of my father watching college ball, screaming at the television, the color of his face matching the crimson of his sweatshirt.

I like basketball because it’s easy to follow; get the ball, pass the ball, shoot the ball, repeat.  I like watching the NBA because the players are the best of the best in the world.  I love the Mavericks because they’re so exciting to watch.  Just when they’re up against a seemingly insurmountable deficit with only a handful of minutes left, something clicks into place and they’re unstoppable.  If there is anything to learn from the 2011 NBA finals it’s this: Never give up.  Never give in.  Never say never. 

Imagine the difference we could make if Christians would approach life the same way. 

Philippians 3:13 – No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.

For some us, the biggest damper on our present, the biggest hindrance to our future, is our past.

In 2006, the Mavericks made it all the way to the NBA finals to face the Heat.  Dallas won games one and two.  Game three looked like a lock going into the fourth quarter: Mavs up 13 points and fans thinking the trophy was all but theirs.  Owner Mark Cuban cleared space on his shelf and a path for the parade.  And then, the unimaginable:  The Heat rallied to take game three.  Then games four, five and six.  And the Mavericks were left burned and defeated.

The media and the city of Dallas watched in breathless anticipation as the Mavs and Heat squared off again, five years later.  The Mavs wanted the monkey off their back.  The Heat wanted a repeat performance.   

Isaiah 43:18-19 – But forget all that!  It is nothing compared to what I am going to do.  For I am about to do a brand-new thing.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home.  I will create rivers for them in the desert!

In the New Testament, the word “forget” does not necessarily mean forget in the sense that we use it.  It also means to neglect or to overlook.  We won’t likely forget things that have hurt, embarrassed or humiliated us.  Some of us have been victims of great devastation.  Some of us have been the devastators.  We can’t erase it.  But we can allow Jesus to heal it.  And we don’t have to dwell on it.

1 Corinthians 9:24 – Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize.  You also must run in such a way that you will win.

Even more than ten points behind at the end of the fourth quarter, the Mavericks never flinched.  They never lost heart.  They kept pressing forward.  They played the game as though defeat were not an option. 

Joyce Meyers has a saying that I’ve adopted as my own:  Do what you can do, and God will do what you can’t.  Remember that, no matter what the odds look like, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).  Through Christ, we have already won, and are in fact, more than conquerors (Romans 8:37).  And even when things don’t turn out as we’d hoped, God causes all things to work for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

1 Corinthians 9:25 – All athletes practice strict self-control.  They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

In between games, in between seasons, you’ll find Dirk Nowitski, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry on the court or in the gym.  The most elite athletes in the world recognize that they have to stay fit and sharp, always ready for the next contest.  They savor the victory, and move on. 

As Christians, it is not enough to go to church once a week.  In order to know Christ intimately and enjoy His blessings, we must establish and maintain the relationship.  We must go to Him daily in prayer.  We must escape the noise of the world every now and then and allow Him to fill us in the silence.  We need to spend time with other Christians, encouraging them and allowing them to encourage us.  We must spend time with Jesus in the Bible.  How can we enjoy the benefits of His promises if we don’t know what those promises are?  Faith that is not exercised can’t grow.  Let us bathe in His grace.  Drink in His love.  Soak up His mercy.  Savor His Word.

Psalm 33:22 – Let Your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in You alone.

Dear Heavenly Father, sometimes life is so hard.  It is so difficult to see above our circumstances and remember that You are always in control.  Help us to sharpen our focus.  Help us to forget the past and remember Your Son.  Help us to forget the odds and press forward as though the prize were at hand.  Nothing is impossible for You, God.  We have faith; strengthen it.  We love You; deepen that love.  Help us to trust You fully, even when all we can see is the wilderness.  You promise that You will make a pathway through that wilderness; help us to claim that promise.  Please put in us a spirit of self-discipline that seeks to know You more.  We thank You for Your Son; let us never forget or take for granted the unfathomable work on the cross.  It is in the beautiful name of Jesus that we pray.  Amen.