By Staff Writer, Matt Osborne Growing up in the state of North Carolina, there are few things more exciting to me than the thrill of March Madness. From the Cinderella storylines and historic upsets to the star players and nail-biting finishes, there is nothing quite like it in the world of sports. But before a team can enjoy the elation of playing in the Big Dance, it first must accomplish the task of securing its place in the tournament. At this point in the college basketball season, many teams and fans alike are frequently checking “bracketology” websites to see what the experts have to say about their chances of participating in March Madness. Undoubtedly, the fans that are the most anxious at this time of year are the ones who cheer for teams considered to be “on the bubble.” Such a designation means that a particular team is still in contention for a spot in the tournament, but that its participation is also not fully guaranteed. In other words, “it could go either way.” This year’s edition of the “bubble watch” is particularly fascinating, as three teams ranked in the preseason top ten are now fighting for their postseason lives coming down the stretch of the regular season: North Carolina, Kentucky, and Arkansas. The group of individuals that holds the fate of these wishful tournament teams in its hands is the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. Once the final conference tournaments have been played to determine the 32 automatic bids for the bracket, the Selection Committee will be responsible for choosing the 36 best at-large teams to make up the remainder of the field. Though it may not seem that difficult, choosing the 36 best at-large teams can prove to be quite challenging. As past tournaments have shown, there are more than 36 teams capable of winning games and advancing in the tournament every year. For the Selection Committee, that means numerous “good” teams must be left out of the field to make room for the 36 “best” teams. As we think about our lives as followers of Jesus, every day we are faced with innumerable choices we must make. And much like the Selection Committee, we often find ourselves having to choose between what is “good” and what is “best.” In his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote, “All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up” (1 Corinthians 10:23; NASB). Of course, we don't want to violate God’s commandments, but we often forget that choosing to do something not inherently sinful doesn’t necessarily mean we made the wisest decision. God has called each of us to diligently study His Word so we might learn to prioritize things in such a manner as to choose what is “best” over what is “good.” The more we read our Bibles, the more clearly we'll be able to discern which decisions would be the most pleasing to the Lord. Philippians 1:9-10 (NIV) says, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” With only 24 hours in each day, each of us must be intentional in making the best possible decisions in terms of what we want to be included in our “life bracket.” That means we will frequently have to say “no” to things that are not sinful to better spend our time on the most excellent things. While seeking to honor God with our lives, let’s all take some time today to assess how we are spending our time. Do the choices that we make truly reflect God’s value system...or do we routinely settle for “good” over “best”? Let’s ask God for wisdom as we read His Word, trusting that He will faithfully guide us as we make decisions that glorify Him. I’m Matt Osborne and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me Your Word to help me know how to live a life that brings You glory. Please help me not simply settle for good decisions, but to spend my time doing the best things. Give me the wisdom to see how You value things so that I might align my life with Your priorities. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. Based on your understanding of scripture, what are some of the things that God values most highly in our lives?
2. What are some "good" things in your life that may be taking up more time than they should?
Comments