Zion Williamson made his much-hyped and highly anticipated NBA debut last night as the Pelicans hosted the Spurs.
Despite all of the pressure and attention, he delivered by scoring 22 points and was especially unbelievable in the 4th quarter when he scored 17 consecutive points, going 4-4 from the 3-point line.
Zion was a star at Duke last year, taking college basketball by storm, and if last night was any indication of what he can do in the NBA, he’s going to be fun to watch.
I’m a huge fan of his because I love the way he plays and his demeanor and approach are likable. I think many NBA fans are rooting for him because he’s great for the league, but unfortunately, there’s a question mark surrounding his health.
He already missed the first half of the season with a knee injury and based on his size and weight and style of play, the Pelicans have to be cautious with him.
As tough as it was for head coach Alvin Gentry to do, he had to take Zion out of the game last night with just over five minutes left in the game due to a minutes restriction.
Even though Zion had put the Pelicans in a position to win after the team was down by double digits, the medical staff made it clear that Zion needed to head to the bench.
Of course, Zion wanted to stay out there and help his teammates and Gentry wanted his new star to keep playing, but the right decision based on the big picture was for him to exit the game.
Despite Zion playing so well, the team looking for a win, the crowd energized, and everyone watching on TV, the Pelicans made a choice based on the long term benefits vs. the temporary desire for him to keep playing.
Every day we find ourselves in similar predicaments. Do we choose the temporary desire and what we want at the moment or do we consider what’s best in the long run?
We can easily get caught up in excitement and temptation and make decisions that cost us in the future. It’s hard to think about the big picture and say no to something when we want it right then and there.
As followers of Jesus, we must desire to make choices based on eternal value vs. temporary satisfaction. Even though something is tempting at the moment, we must look to Jesus for wisdom to know what’s going to be best for the future according to an eternal perspective.
Just like the Pelicans chose to think about Zion’s whole career, not just one game, we’re called to “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:2; NLT).
Every day, multiple times a day, we battle against our flesh and spirit and temporal things vs. eternal things. That’s why we must keep the proper mindset and stay grounded in truth.
Romans 8:5-6 (AMP) says, “For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose].
“Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]…”
As much as I would have loved for Zion to finish last night’s game, I know the Pelicans did what was best. Today, let’s trust that God knows what’s best for our lives. Let’s follow His will and His plan, even when it requires a temporary sacrifice.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I desire to live a life that matters for eternity. I pray my mindset and perspective would be rooted in You and things above instead of temporary and earthly distractions. Help me to walk in Your Spirit and remain in Your will. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
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What choices have you faced or are currently facing that requires you to sacrifice something temporarily?
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What does it mean to have an eternal mindset?
