Off the Rim

He had the basketball in his hand. The crowd was cheering, clock ticking down. His team was down by one point. Make this shot, and they would carry him off the court a hero. Miss it, and leave it a goat. He'd made that basket several times and warmup shot after warmup shot. It was his sweet spot, and he simply couldn't miss from there—12 feet to the hoop. Michael Jordan faced the situation the way he had hundreds of times before.

Confidently, he shot the ball.

He could almost see the scene in slow motion. Watching the ball rotate slowly as it headed to the net. The crowd hushed, the expectation high. Then, with a loud and unceremonious thunk, the ball struck the front edge of the rim and fell harmlessly to the hardwood. No points. No win. He had missed. #fail

Arguably, the greatest player in sport's history had failed. He let down his team, the fans, and, most importantly, himself. He tasted failure. It was bitter, but it wasn't the first time that scenario had played out. Look what Michael Jordan said about all the failures in his historic career:

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. I was trusted 26 times to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Have you ever thought about that? Michael Jordan could have missed a few early, game-winning shots and quit. He could have asked his teammates not to throw him the ball in the closing seconds. He could have remembered the misses rather than the successes.

Sound familiar?

Maybe that is you today. Possibly you've dropped the ball along the road when someone asked you to carry it. Perhaps you feel the sting of failure as a parent, a spouse, a student, or a child of God. You've wanted to give up and quit. You've wanted to walk away. And you've wondered if God knew you were going through any of it. Today's passage is just for you.

God's word says we are to run the race "with endurance."

We must be strong, steadfast, and determined, keeping our eyes on He who never failed, Jesus Christ. I love the last line of the passage today, "Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won't become weary and give up."

When we think of what Jesus has been through for us, we realize that failure is not an option overall. He endured the human race gladly so that we could put our trust in Him. Time after time, He allows us to take the shot, to make a comeback, to win. God will not let today's setback define tomorrow's significance.

And if we seem to fail temporarily, it doesn't mean we can't get up. Fall five times and get up six. I found these thoughts as I was preparing:

"Failure does not mean I have accomplished nothing;
It does mean I have learned something.
Failure does not mean I am inferior;
It does mean I am not perfect.
Failure does not mean that I should give up;
It does mean that I should try harder.
Failure does not mean that God has abandoned me;
It does mean that He must have a better idea."
- Anonymous

Michael Jordan may have missed some baskets, but he wasn't a failure. You've missed a few things, too, but I would define you similarly. You aren't a failure. People count on you to stay on your feet and keep at it. God's race for you is yours, your lane, your time. Run with faith. Go at it with your head up, your eyes on God, and the thought of permanent failure banned from your vocabulary. Will you slip up? Sure.

Learn from it. Fail forward. God trusts you with your mission. Let's live today with the confidence that His resurrection gives us!