Weekly Content for P.A.C.K. Meetings

UNPACKIN’ IT DEVOTIONAL CONTENT:

Don’t Force It

The NFL Draft begins on Thursday and many of the conversations center around the quarterbacks, which teams will select them, and what pick they will use. The teams most likely to draft a quarterback are the Bears, Commanders, Broncos, Vikings, Raiders, and Patriots.

The quarterbacks garnering the most attention are Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix, and J.J. McCarthy.

As fans, we can’t wait to see what teams select each quarterback and whether or not teams trade up in the draft to snag the guy they want or take whichever one falls to them with the pick they have.

With how valuable quarterbacks are in the NFL, teams feel the pressure to draft one early and sometimes this means they take a player too soon or they take someone they aren’t necessarily as high on but feel like they have to take a quarterback with the pick they have.

The Denver Broncos are heading into the draft with the 12th pick overall and a giant need at the quarterback position considering they traded Russell Wilson and didn’t sign a veteran quarterback during free agency.

Head coach, Sean Payton understands this, but said recently, “You’d say, man, it sure looks like we have to draft a quarterback, and yet, it’s got to be the right fit, the right one.”

The General Manager of the Broncos, George Paton, offered his perspective: “What you don’t want to do is force it. Otherwise, we’ll be in this position next year and the years after. You want to get the right player at 12.”

The bottom line is, that teams like the Broncos might be tempted to force it and settle for a QB and be impatient by taking the wrong guy at the wrong time.

However, the wiser decision is taking the right player at the right time, even if it means waiting until later in the draft to get their QB. They can’t let the pressure of feeling like they must get a QB early force them into a bad selection.

When it comes to our lives, we know what it’s like to feel pressured to meet a need or desire to have a “new QB.” Sometimes “we have to draft a quarterback,” such as getting a job, finding a spouse, moving to a new house, finding a group of friends, or jumping into serving others.

All of those are good things, but it can become a problem when we “force it” and try to make something happen in our own strength and limited understanding that isn’t God’s best or the right timing.

Unfortunately, there are situations when we settle for something that isn’t the right fit and rush into something because of impatience.

We should learn to stop trying to force things to happen or attempt to force God to do something we think has to happen when ultimately He has a much better plan for us.

We must allow God to work in our situation, prepare us, and orchestrate the details. The reality is, that it requires trust, wisdom, and patience to experience God’s right fit and timing.

Psalm 37:3-5 (ESV) encourages us to “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”

As we follow Jesus and desire to do God’s will while being led by the Spirit, let’s discern what’s best instead of allowing pressure to get the best of us.

Broncos GM, George Paton’s words ring true: “What you don’t want to do is force it.”

So today, let’s choose patience as we trust God to provide and guide as we echo Micah 7:7 (AMP): “But as for me, I will look expectantly for the Lord and with confidence in Him I will keep watch; I will wait [with confident expectation] for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER OR EMPHASIZE OR OTHER DIRECTIONS TO GO:

• We still must take steps of faith and put our faith in action instead of being lazy or fearful.
• The key is not to take matters into our own hands but to surrender to God and His plan.
• Yes, we can “knock on doors” but instead of kicking the door in, we wait for the doors God clearly opens.
• When the door isn’t opening, we must discern between accepting the door isn’t going to open and God has another door…or waiting and enduring a challenging season before it eventually opens.