The Los Angeles Lakers began the NBA Finals as the favorite to win it all and now find themselves one game away from beating the Miami Heat as they lead the 7-game series 3-1.
The Lakers are led by LeBron James who is playing in his 10th NBA Finals and attempting to win his fourth championship. If they pull it out, he’ll have won the title with three different franchises.
Deservingly so, LeBron is the one who gets the most attention, respect, love, honor, and accolades for the effect he has on his team’s success. He's a legend at the top of many individual career statistics.
But like all team sports, he can’t single-handedly win a championship on his own. It requires “the others” on the team to step up and contribute by hitting key shots, playing defense, and grabbing rebounds.
LeBron isn’t the only superstar on the Lakers either. He plays alongside one of the best players in the league, Anthony Davis. However, after those two guys, “the others” are made up of veteran castoffs Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, an undrafted player Alex Caruso, and former 2nd round picks, Danny Green and Kyle Kuzma.
Many of the guys on this roster are players most fans didn’t think very highly of before the season or playoffs began and are unwilling to acknowledge and appreciate their play on the court.
However, these other players need to be shown some love and respect for their crucial roles on this Lakers team just one win away from a championship.
As we unpack the reality that “the others” on a team can often get overlooked, downplayed, or disregarded, I want us to consider if we have similar feelings or thoughts toward “the others” in our own lives.
The “superstars” in our lives may be family, friends, close co-workers, and neighbors who we find easy to love and respect. They may bring clear value to us and we willingly show them, love.
But how do we view and treat “the others” that are still a part of our lives and “out there on the court”? Do we have disdain or biases toward the “other” races, political parties, church denominations, or economic classes?
Do we disregard or overlook people we deem not as valuable? Are we unwilling to acknowledge and appreciate how well someone is doing now because we know how they used to be?
Ultimately, the encouragement for us today is to love everyone - even “the others” who are hard to love.
As followers of Jesus, it’s pretty clear that we’re commanded to love others and have a great reason to do so. Jesus says in John 13:34-35 (NLT), “...Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”
We're also told in 1 John 4:9-12 (NLT), ”God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.”
The more and more we recognize just how much God loves us, our love for “the others” will overflow. We’re all part of a big world with people created by the same God who created us, so let’s not overlook or downplay the reality that “the others” in our lives are contributing to His plans and purposes and are valuable.
God implores us to love and, thankfully, He empowers us to do it. Today let’s allow His love to flow through us to "the others."
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for not loving certain people in my life. Please help me to understand and remember just how much You love me, and empower me to love others well. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
Who are "the others" that you have the toughest time loving?
What does God's love mean to you?
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