UNPACK this...Chiefs vs. Buccaneers Super Bowl LVSample

Tom Brady Thought It Was 4th Down

Tom Brady is about to play in his tenth Super Bowl and as impressive as that is, this season had many challenging moments. One 19-20 loss was specifically memorable for all the wrong reasons. 

Late in the fourth quarter during the Bucs’ final drive against the Bears, Brady was unable to complete the pass on fourth down and the game was essentially over with a turnover on downs and Chicago’s football.

However, the six-time Super Bowl champion held up four fingers indicating it was fourth down, revealing he thought they had another opportunity. Although we all know how clutch he’s been over the years, during the closing seconds of that game, he was mistaken.

I’m not going to criticize or defend him, but I do believe there’s a lesson we can learn from this unique situation. We are all aware that life is short, but oftentimes tell ourselves we have another “down” or another opportunity until we realize that we don’t.

Brady and the Bucs had four chances to get a first down and extend the drive, but they didn’t make the most of the plays they were given, and the game ended.

Likewise, every day we have opportunities to take advantage of before it’s too late. We don’t want to waste our days with “overthrows” and “incomplete passes,” and without knowing if we have another “down,” we need to take advantage of them. 

Because life is so short, we must ask God to show us the best way to spend our days and help us prioritize what is most important from His perspective. We can pray this important prayer found in Psalm 90:12: ”Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.”

Today, let’s not assume we have another “down” to do what we need to do. Instead, let’s embrace this powerful reminder: “So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me to number my days and consider each one as a blessing that can be used to do good. Please give me the wisdom to make the best use of my time and prioritize what is most important. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.