Game Plan

March Madness begins in just a few short weeks. If I am being honest it is one of my favorite times of the year. See I love basketball and this is like “THE” biggest basketball event. How I might be different from others is that I don’t just watch the game purely for entertainment purposes, but rather I like to watch the strategy that the coaches use and the players implement in order to overcome their opponent and win the game. Furthermore, I enjoy the late regular season build up to how these teams make it into the tournament. It reveals something about their preparation for being selected to compete in March Madness.

This preparation for the task at hand is not too dissimilar from the lives that we live as believers. See I like all those aspects of the game of basketball, because I used to coach basketball. Therefore, I see the planning, the scheduling, picking of opponents and plays as more important to the outcome than just the event itself. Is not God just like that with us when it comes to our lives as Christians?

The prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testaments tells us that God has prepared things for us, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬. God has prepared work for us to do and that these plans are good plans. Paul reminds us of this in the New Testament letter to the Ephesians, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬. See God has been doing the preparation work for you from before the beginning of time to fulfill His mission for your life which is to become more like Jesus.

However, too often we don’t follow the game plan. We don’t remember how God’s strategies have gotten us through some of the toughest moments and opponents in our lives and we try to take matters into our own hands. I see this in my own life, especially in parenting, when I seek after a good helpful book or wisdom from a more seasoned parent. While these things are not bad in and of themselves, what is bad is that my heart's motivation isn’t directed at seeking God’s help first, but my wisdom or my ability to obtain that wisdom. Honestly, most of the time this just causes me to struggle more.

What we should all do in these moments is turn to Jesus as the example and author of our faith. Jesus, time and time again, listens to the Father and follows His game plan and His preparation knowing that He is good, He is consistent, and He will keep His promises. “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.” John‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

See we are competing on the largest stage ever, eternity. God has chosen those who have put their faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ and His gospel. All we have to do is abide in Christ as the Father sanctifies us to look more like Him, and we will constantly be moving towards the completion of our goal, to be like Christ. That way when we have run our race and stand before the Father He might look at us and see Jesus and say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

In Christ,