Lebron James is a terrific basketball player. At 25, he's bigger and stronger than most, and better than just about anyone else on the planet who plays the game. But he also carries a terrific amount of pressure with him. He's driven to succeed I'm sure, but he carries a whole city on his shoulders...and we were reminded this week of the fact that he is most definitely human and still immature.
He seems to lack a certain amount of humility, which is charming when everything goes well, but seems to have turned ugly when they didn't go well this week. His team lost by more than 30 points at home to bring them within one game of being eliminated from the playoffs. He wasn't even a factor and yet, he refused to admit disappointment, frustration, or even an ounce of desperation as the wheels were coming off the bus for his team. He responded in game 6 by recording a triple double which is double figures in any three statistical categories. A worthy accomplishment anytime but especially in the playoffs and on the road when fighting elimination.
Unfortunately for Lebron, he also nearly had double digit turnovers and they lost. Think he's disappointed or frustrated now? Don't get me wrong, I'm not laughing at him but I do think it's a lesson in humility and I hope he'll grow to understand that it isn't weak to admit how you feel but instead is a strength and displays a maturity and a perseverance that will make him and his team better next time.
As follower's of Christ, we're called to a level of maturity and perseverance as well.
Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing. -- Philippians 2:15 (from The Message)
We can go out and put all kinds of points on the board and do a bunch of other things to help our team win, but it's how we handle ourselves when things fall apart...when we have 9 turnovers...that defines our character. It's easy to cruise when everything falls into place for us, isn't it?
But how do you handle adversity? What do you do when the pressure is truly on? Do you refuse to recognize it and blindly carry on, or do you face it boldly knowing that God is on your team and that in the end you will be standing victorious, celebrating in Heaven?
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