By Staff Writer, Matt Osborne To the surprise of many, the Golden State Warriors found themselves down two games to none in their best-of-seven first-round series against the Sacramento Kings as they headed back to the Bay Area. The Kings dictated the pace of play in both of the games in Sacramento, making clutch shots in pivotal moments and often playing like a team with more playoff experience on the roster than it actually does. For the Warriors’ part, there didn’t appear to be much momentum and rhythm as the team made its way back to its home arena. Golden State struggled defensively to contain Sacramento’s quickness on the perimeter and was plagued by turnovers on the offensive end during the first two contests. To make matters worse, Golden State entered Game 3 without the services of their emotional leader, Draymond Green, who was given a one-game suspension for a flagrant foul committed against Domantas Sabonis in Game 2. But despite the obstacles facing them, the Warriors responded with the poise and grit of a championship team, defeating Sacramento 114-97 in an impressive display of team basketball to bring the series to 2-1. Though the news of Green’s suspension could have been deflating to his team, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr commented after the win that his team had become immediately “locked in” when they received the bad news. Rather than allowing the distraction of Green’s suspension to cause them to lose their focus, the Warriors blocked out all of the outside noise and concentrated intently on what they needed to do. As followers of Jesus, I wonder how often we allow outside distractions, misplaced priorities, or the circumstances of life to keep us from being “locked in” when it comes to our fellowship with God. We all have the desire to accomplish great things for God that will bring Him glory and honor, but we can be tempted to simply work harder or “grind” while doing them. In John 15:4-5 (ESV), Jesus told His disciples, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in Him, He it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” If we aren't careful, we can easily put the cart before the horse by forgetting what enables us to effectively serve Him for His glory: intentionally fellowshipping with God and seeking after Him. If we don’t “lock in” on abiding in Christ by practicing spiritual disciplines such as praying, reading God's Word, and worshipping Him, we'll be ineffective when it comes time for us to “produce.” In Luke 10, we're told a story about two sisters, Mary and Martha. When Jesus came for a visit at their house, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to learn from Him, while Martha was “distracted with much serving.” Although Martha had good intentions with her serving, she failed to recognize that spending time with Jesus was more important than attempting to serve Him in her own strength. Jesus responded to her in Luke 10:41-42 by saying, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Having ambition and a desire to serve the Lord is important, but if we truly want to produce fruit that honors Him, we must first “lock in” on what we need to do, which is abiding in His presence. We must intentionally remove all of the distractions that keep us from focusing our undivided attention on the Lord so we can enjoy the blessings that come from simply being with Him in sweet fellowship. So today, let’s remove all of the distractions and set aside personal ambition to “lock in” on the most important "task" of all: time in fellowship with our good and gracious King. I’m Matt Osborne and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I'm sorry for getting distracted and neglecting to abide in Your presence. Please help me be disciplined in spending time with you each day. As I abide in You, thank you for helping me produce fruit for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. What distractions interrupt your ability to fellowship with God?
2. What steps could you take to become more disciplined in abiding in Christ?
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