Say Yes!
- The Narrow Path
- Jul 22, 2022
- 3 min read
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love (1 John 4:18, NIV).
In my book, Michael Jordan is the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time) when it comes to the sport of basketball. That’s a debatable topic for another time, but he’s always been my favorite. He is 6’6″, could run fast, jump high, and had a silky smooth jumper. I don’t admire him just because of his God-given talent, but because of the way he chose to use the talents he was given. He was the fiercest competitor, hated to lose, gave everything he had, expected that of his teammates, and left everything on the court.
Michael Jordan was actually cut from his high school basketball team as a freshman. It’s mind-boggling that an individual who faced that type of adversity would go on to become one of the most decorated players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Another reason I love his story so much is because, despite failure, he didn’t let fear stop him from pursuing something he loved.
When he was cut by his high school team, Michael didn’t quit. Instead, he went home and went to work. It wasn’t easy, but he chose to say yes to the hard. Despite his past failure, and fear of possible failure again in the future, he pushed himself harder than anyone else. He practiced, and he chose to pursue something that I believe God uniquely designed him for: playing the game of basketball.
We’ve all faced fear and failure in our lives. It’s one of the reasons I love the verse from 1 John 4:18 so much: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” This verse was a foundational truth for me as I embarked on my journey of spiritual healing. When I began to feel fear, especially as I found myself in the midst of the most challenging season of my life, I was able to counter my fear by remembering that I am perfectly loved by my Heavenly Father. When I remember that truth, I am able to push past fear and press forward into the future.
I have two stickers on my laptop: the Michael Jordan logo and another that reads, “Say Yes!” (which is from a sermon series at my church several years back). The stickers make a pretty good pair because they remind me that when failure and fear mark our journey, we have two choices: we can quit, or we can press on and push forward into something we are passionate about pursuing.
Though I have no idea about the existence of, or depth of a relationship with Jesus in Michael Jordan’s life, I can look at his journey and see how the Lord was with him through his failure, fear, and ultimately his final landing place as one of the best to ever play the game of basketball.
In life, when we choose to step out in pursuit of something, fear and failure will always be lurking. However, when we remember that we are perfectly loved by God, despite the presence of fear and the possibility of failure, we can say yes to pursuing something we are passionate about. And whatever the Lord calls us to, He will walk through it with us, embracing us with His perfect love.
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