The NFL Draft is this week and, of course, there's hope and optimism for players, GMs, and fans. Players want to succeed at the next level with their new team...GMs want to draft players that fit their team well...and fans want to see their team make the right selections with each pick.
Unfortunately, when we look back at the history of the NFL Draft, we see it filled with mistakes, failures, misses, and picks that don't always pan out.
On Thursday, there will be GMs and franchises preparing to draft a QB or make a top ten pick who have previously made terrible draft decisions over the years when faced with a similar situation. Because of this, it's easy to have a negative mindset while wondering if they will repeat their past mistakes.
We may believe that Trevor Lawrence won't thrive in Jacksonville solely because Blane Gabbert and Blake Bortles were disappointing quarterbacks when drafted by the Jaguars in the first round.
Meanwhile, the Bears, Lions, and Jets are probably fighting negativity, as well, since they've made embarrassing picks in the past and now fear they’ll blow it again.
However, this is a brand new draft with all new players and the mistakes from the past can be lessons learned instead of reasons to fail again. The shame doesn’t have to be carried into this year’s draft, and the results don’t have to be the same.
There's a great opportunity for situations to turn out better for the players, GMs, and the fans because the next pick can be different as changes and new perspectives can lead to the right selection this time around.
The teams with a new regime have especially been given a chance to start over, head down a new path, and not let the past negatively affect their choice when they're on the clock.
Thankfully, today is a new day for you and me and even if we have a history of making bad mistakes or we have chosen a pattern of sin previously, the next pick can be different.
Just because we blew it yesterday or our family struggled in certain areas when we were growing up, we don't have to repeat our failures or go down the same path as our parents.
We don't have to buy the lies that we’re destined to be an alcoholic or struggle financially or divorce our spouse – just because that was our family experience.
It's important to accept the fact that we aren’t our parents and when we receive new life in Christ, we’re no longer the person we used to be. We don't have to have the same results or repeat a pattern of sin because we’ve been given the power through Christ to do things differently.
Just like the Jaguars' fans have to believe Lawrence can be their franchise QB of the future, regardless of past QB failures, we must believe failures from our past don’t have to lead to failures in our future.
As followers of Jesus, we’re given a whole new outlook on life, a new regime has taken over, and we're empowered to be better than who we used to be or who we thought we were destined to become based on past circumstances.
We've been given a chance to start over and head down a new path, and fortunately, don't have to let the past have a negative effect on our next "draft pick" when we find ourselves on the clock to make a key decision.
Today, let’s move past shame and rest in God's grace and love while we determinedly take on the challenge to embrace the powerful hope and assurance God gives us in His Word:
“And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
“The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins” (2 Peter 1:4-9; NLT).
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray I wouldn’t buy the lies that I have to fall into the same failures as I did in the past or struggle the same way my family did. I place my hope and trust in You and know I can live a Holy life as I follow You and rely on Your power. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What patterns of sin has Jesus helped you break free from?
What failures have you tended to repeat that you need to rely on God to help you change moving forward?
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