We all know that sports are driven by winning (and making money, of course), as players go out each game to compete and contribute to what they hope is a victory. Practices, game planning, and timeouts are all used to set up a team for a win.
With the point of the game being to win, the concept of “tanking” or purposely losing goes against the grain. The process doesn’t seem right and is very difficult for players and fans to accept.
Even so, “tanking” in the NBA has become a strategy that teams implement in order to increase their chances of winning the draft lottery. They believe they can rebuild their rosters through the draft and want to have the best pick possible. This simply means the more losing they do, the better chance they have of winning.
But this plan isn’t encouraged by the NBA, and Mark Cuban recently got in trouble for admitting that his team was embracing their losses.
In an interview with Julius Erving on the House Call with Dr. Jpodcast, Cuban said: "I'm probably not supposed to say this, but, like, I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night, and here we are, you know, we weren't competing for the playoffs. I was like, 'Look, losing is our best option.'"
Although hard to hear for the NBA, the principle that “losing is our best option” is one we need to consider in our own lives.
Among Jesus’ many teachings on this truth, Mark 8:34-35 (ESV) says, "And calling the crowd to Him with His disciples, He said to them, 'If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel's will save it.'”
This challenge goes against the grain because we live in a society that is all about winning with worldly success, personal gain, and self-satisfaction. We’re expected to acquire as much fame, money, and power as we can.
However, following Jesus requires us to change our approach to winning. Our mindset shifts from trying to win “this season,” to being focused on eternity and the victory found in the cross.
When we're willing to lose worldly pursuits and trappings of sin, and say to ourselves, “Look, losing is our best option,” we gain Jesus and the abundant life we’re meant to live.
In Matthew 10:38-39 (ESV), Jesus also tells us, "And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please show me what I need to lose and let go of in order to live the life available to me. Please help me take up my cross each day and follow You. I pray I wouldn’t cling to the things of this world, but rather cling to the hope found in Jesus. In His name, I pray, Amen.
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