Calling The Shots

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 3:27, NIV 1984).

“If you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. But love your enemies, do good to them.” (Luke 6:33, 35, NIV 1984).

My Musings – I loved playing all kinds of sports with the neighborhood kids when I was young. I liked baseball and football best, probably because I was better at them than other sports. Not good enough outside the neighborhood, but good enough for that. I liked basketball too, but my talents were sorely lacking. Nevertheless, I could make the layups. No big accomplishment. Everyone could make the layups. It was the outside shots that required a bit more talent and finesse.

God gives up layups — Proverbs 3:27. He expects us to make those shots. “What credit is that to [us]? Even [bad players] do that.” In basketball, not taking the easy layup is pretty unforgivable, because more often than not it is a shot you can easily make. In our walk with Christ, not taking those easy layups is forgivable. But only because “anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17, NIV 1984). He’ll forgive us, but He would rather He did not have to in the first place.

God gives us the outside shots — Luke 6:35. He expects us to take those shots. He knows we won’t make (friends of) all of them. Not making all the outside shots is pretty much a given. We may in fact miss more than we make, but God rewards us for faithfulness not success.

My Advice – Make the shots you can, take the shots you should.