Bird Style Discipline
Everyone likes to win but it’s the losses that hold the lessons. If you’ve ever played sports or cheered on a favorite team, then you know. I can still remember the details of the missed shots more than those made. I’m not sure what makes our brains retain failures more than successes but that seems to be the case.
Evelyn is playing her first season of basketball and it’s been a thrill to see her. She’s thriving! There is determination in her to succeed, and she does not let anything slow her down. She’s on the second string as a 6th grader but is generally the first player off the bench. She’s fierce, and like her daddy, not afraid to foul!
Her team was undefeated going into last night’s game, but they ran across another team that was big, physical, and fast. A trifecta they simply couldn’t match. But they tried! They kept playing hard to the end, but they came up short. I knew the ride home would be an opportunity for an important lesson.
The lesson wasn’t about winning and losing. That’s where we focus a significant amount of attention, but that’s a lag goal. A lag goal is something beyond our direct control. It’s a lot like a pastor saying, “my goal is for the church to grow.” O.K., but how will that actually happen? Whether it’s growing in our basketball skills or some other area of life, God rarely chooses to sidestep our discipline. Many want to experience good results, but discipline is the true determining factor.
I recently read an article about Larry Bird and his unparalleled drive. It has been reported that he would shoot 3,500 jump shots and 99 consecutive free throws every day. On a few occasions, the team would report to the locker room only to discover that Bird would still be in the stands running the stairs. Where is Larry Bird on the list of top basketball players? I don’t know, but his discipline sure stands out.
Riding home from the season’s first loss, I gave Evelyn a lesson. Larry Bird style! Failure isn’t what defines us. We live in a result-oriented world with a false belief in instant and easy success. It just doesn’t happen that way! It’s our discipline to achieve goals within our control that move us where we want to be. With a goal of 3,500 daily jump shots, the wins took care of themselves!
If we want to grow, it’s the discipline of stickwithitness that has the greatest impact. We can’t determine if we’ll get the promotion. We can’t determine if we’ll make the starting lineup. We can’t determine if we will be financially stable. But we can absolutely determine to stick with those goals that will help us achieve the results we want to see. If we want to make the starting lineup, then we better have the discipline to practice our shot. If we want to be financially stable, we better have the discipline to save even if it means sacrifice. If we want to grow spiritually, we better have the discipline to set aside time for prayer and Scripture.
In a results-oriented world, it’s discipline infused with the Holy Spirit’s empowerment that is distinguishing. And I conclude with this because it is the most important. We all need help exercising discipline. Discipline is hard and goes against the desires of our flesh. But the Spirit meets us as we yield to His power, even on the basketball court!