With James Harden recently being traded from the Houston Rockets, an extremely talented trio (including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving) has been formed for the Brooklyn Nets.
Three great players on the basketball court don’t necessarily translate to success, but they have a chance to win a lot of games if they develop chemistry and play well together.
All three have to adapt their game, and James Harden in particular will have to learn how to find the right balance between being a scorer and a passer.
Although he did some passing in Houston, he was heavily relied on to score a lot of points. Now he has teammates who are also well-accomplished scorers.
Harden recently said, "I was in a role for eight years, controlling the ball, dominating the ball. Now it's a different experience for me, but it's still great."
New teammate, Kevin Durant, added, "As a scorer and the focal point of your offense, sometimes the balance between score and pass - you got to figure that out each night."
Harden’s ability to understand how to balance passing the ball to his teammates to give them opportunities and getting himself going offensively by scoring baskets, is going to be critical for their success.
Being willing to pass requires an unselfish attitude with a desire to do what's best for the team. Harden also has to understand the importance of knowing when to take his own shot because that also benefits the team.
Again, it's a balance between the two because if he only passes and never shoots, that's a problem...and if he shoots too much, then that becomes a detriment.
We all have challenges in figuring out how to find balance. Each day we have to decide how to serve our “teammates” and get them the “ball” vs. finding ways to get ourselves going. In other words, it’s the balance between putting others first and taking care of ourselves.
For most of us, we used to "dominate the ball" as we mainly focused on how many baskets we could make for ourselves. But then when we add a spouse and a baby and then another one, we become responsible to set them up well by being a “passer.” As a result, we sacrifice our own shots for the betterment of our family.
However, we have to balance finding ways to rest, replenish, and retreat to have the energy to keep being an effective passer.
At our jobs, we may have co-workers that count on us to help them get opportunities to score baskets. But, we have to be careful not to get unbalanced by always passing and not getting ourselves going or making the baskets they’re counting on us to take. We can't be too selfish and shoot all the time, and yet we can't just pass all the time either.
As followers of Jesus, we want to be “passers” first, as we give to other people. Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT) tells us, "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”
Jesus shows us a good example to follow when it comes to balance because after He and the disciples served people and gave of themselves, they found time to pull away and refuel.
Mark 6:30-32 (NIV) says, "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, 'Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”
We can easily get unbalanced with our roles as parents, spouse, worker, and friend. However, when spending time with God is a priority, He gives us the refreshment and strength we need to make the proper adjustments to do what's most important each day.
We can trust Him to show us when to shoot and when to pass!
I'm Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please give me the strength and desire to serve others well and help me not to get unbalanced in life. Show me ways to replenish, so I can be more effective. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What value do you place on taking care of yourself and refueling to be more effective at serving others?
What area of your life seems unbalanced right now?
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