NFL free agency will officially begin next week and numerous marquee players such as Tom Brady, A.J. Green, Amari Cooper, and Derrick Henry will make decisions to sign with a new team or return to their current team.
The whole free-agent process is fascinating to watch with all of its moving pieces, and rumors and discussions as to where certain guys will sign and for how much.
As soon as one player agrees to a deal, the domino effect takes place and forces other players and teams to go a different direction.
Once a team gives big money to one guy, it limits what they can give another position. The second a team signs a quarterback, the other free agents who think that spot might be an option are forced to look elsewhere. The first players to sign set the market rate while the other contracts follow the trend after that.
General Managers, agents, and players all have a role to play during free agency and at first glance, we think money drives the decisions.
I would argue, however, that free agency is all about timing. From a team’s perspective, they can either be quick to sign players and possibly overpay them, wait and snag a guy for a discount because the market dries up, or wait and miss out on the player because he agrees to go somewhere else.
From a player’s standpoint, he can quickly decide to sign with a team by accepting the first great offer, wait to see if other teams step up and offer even more money once other deals are made, or end up waiting too long and miss out on the opportunity.
Free agency is a wild time for decision making and a tug of war between patience and acting quickly.
The truth is, we experience periods like this in our own lives. There are so many moving pieces in our jobs and families that we’re regularly forced to choose between waiting and making quick choices.
Sometimes we act too hastily and if we’d waited for more information we would have gone a different route. Other times we drag our feet and procrastinate about a decision and should have jumped in immediately instead of watching the opportunity vanish.
Just as some teams become big winners by signing the top players right away, and other teams who waited get tremendous value for the players they signed later, it’s all about timing in our own lives as well.
If we trust God and believe He sees the big picture and knows what’s best for us, then we can make wise decisions based on His timing.
It’s up to us to know the difference between when He’s asking us to wait and when to act quickly. The problems come when we disobey and rely on our perspective instead of His leading.
The Bible implores us in Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) to: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
As we follow Jesus, there will be situations where we sense He’s wanting us to go for it right away, while other circumstances will show us that He wants us to be patient because there will be something better ahead.
Either way, we don’t want to make a move until He says to, so we wait confidently and expectantly for Him to show us the way.
Today, let's know that “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him” (Lamentations 3:25; ESV).
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I believe You are all-knowing and know what’s best for me. I pray my decisions would line up with Your will. Help me not to be afraid of quickly making big steps of faith when You want me to…and to be patient when I need to wait. Thank you for leading me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What examples can you give where you knew God was leading you to act quickly?
What examples can you give where you knew God wanted you to wait?
Is it more difficult for you to wait or to take a quick step of faith?
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