Yesterday was week 1 in the NFL, and heading into the games, every team and fan base was filled with hope and excitement to get the new season going. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for injuries to hit, fumbles and interceptions to take place, and half the teams to start the season 0-1. Although it's only one game and some teams and fans were thrilled to get the win, everyone else started off the season disappointed. The most disappointing game occurred during Sunday Night Football when the Giants got blown out by the Cowboys 40-0. New York’s QB, Daniel Jones said, “We’re certainly frustrated and extremely disappointed with how we performed tonight.” They didn’t plan to lose and wanted the season to start on a high note, but that’s not what happened and they weren't the only ones. Many people jumped on the Bears bandwagon and jumped off the Packers bandwagon at the season's onset, but Green Bay convincingly took care of the Bears on the road yesterday. After the game, Chicago’s quarterback, Justin Fields described his disappointment: “It definitely hurts, not only because it’s the first game of the season and it’s a loss, but it’s a loss to them. Just want to say sorry to teammates and all the fans that were rooting for us. We’ll bounce back and be good.” Around the league, here are some of the other disappointments:
The Seahawks didn’t expect to get blown out by the Rams who were missing their number one weapon, Cooper Kupp.
In Denver, Sean Payton is supposed to quickly turn the Broncos around, but it was another game where the Broncos couldn’t get in the end zone enough and lost a tight one.
The Chargers disappointed their home crowd, too, with their inability to close it out down the stretch against the Dolphins.
Meanwhile, the Patriots honored their former QB, Tom Brady, but got down 0-16 to start the game, which isn't where they wanted to be against the Eagles. Despite a strong comeback, they still came up short 20-25.
The Panthers, Colts, and Texans all debuted new rookie quarterbacks and head coaches, but with disappointing outcomes for all three of them, everyone was reminded there's a lot of room for growth. The Steelers and Vikings didn't start things off the way they wanted to with their talented offenses, as both had disappointing showings resulting in losses at home. The Bengals knew it’d be tough with Joe Burrow coming back from his injury, but their offense couldn’t get going at all and fell to their in-state rival, the Browns, 3-24. Across the league, disappointment can be found after the first game, and the question becomes, how will teams overcome and handle the rest of the season? Will they take the big-picture approach and continue to be hopeful for the rest of the year ahead of them? Will they blame each other for the bad start? Will they panic and make bad decisions? Will the disappointment turn into despair, causing players to quickly give up on the season? Or... Will teams make adjustments, prepare differently, and do what they can to get healthy? Will they acknowledge the disappointment and mistakes they made and move forward in confidence? Will they study more, listen to their coaches better, and take practice more seriously as they bounce back? Beyond the disappointing NFL circumstances, when we look at our own lives, we're most likely experiencing disappointments that are a much bigger deal than “one loss.” However, there are similarities because so often we deal with our own "injuries" as well as "fumbles and interceptions." Whether it’s a job situation that hasn’t taken off like we thought it would....a marriage that hasn’t thrived the way we expected...or health issues popped up out of nowhere, oftentimes things aren’t where we want them to be. When our grand plans come up short and life doesn't turn out the way we anticipated, how do we respond and handle “the rest of the season”? Will the disappointment turn into despair, causing us to give up quickly? Will we panic and make bad decisions? Will we waste time blaming others? Or... Will we overcome the disappointment? Will we take the big-picture approach and continue to be hopeful? Will we make adjustments, prepare differently, and get healthy the best we can? Will we acknowledge the disappointment and mistakes we made and move forward in strength and confidence because we’ll “bounce back and be good”? As followers of Jesus living in a broken world, we know there will be disappointments, but we can be encouraged by 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT): “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” We know that God is right there with us, reminding us of the truth, strengthening us, and helping us make the proper adjustments. We can move past the disappointment and remain confident and hopeful as we declare what’s found in Psalm 73:23-26 (NLT): “Yet I still belong to You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.” Today, let’s overcome the disappointments of this life by running to Jesus, listening to Him, seriously practicing spiritual disciplines, and spending more time studying God’s Word. Let’s see the big picture and know that “one loss” is not the end. I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray that the disappointments of life won't derail me, but cause me to deepen my dependence on You. Please give me the strength and confidence I need to persevere and help me make the proper adjustments to see Your bigger picture. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. What disappointments are you facing today?
2. How are you responding to these disappointments and how are you challenged to respond differently?
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