UNPACK This...Staying Calm, Cool, and CollectedChikamu

Green Loses It And The Warriors Lose

In a 2021 game, the Charlotte Hornets were down 100-98 in the closing seconds against the Golden State Warriors.

Following a loose ball scramble, Warriors forward, Draymond Green, was mad that the Hornets were given possession, so he passionately argued the call.

The refs gave Green two technical fouls for his angry reaction, resulting in his ejection from the game.

Even worse, Charlotte knocked down both technical free throws with nine seconds left to tie the game and eventually hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr said of Green after the game, “He crossed the line. We know we wouldn’t be the team we are without him. But that doesn’t give him permission to cross the line.”

When these types of incidents happen, I don’t like to point fingers at the athlete as much as I like to draw a comparison to our own lives.

How do we respond when we feel like we are on the wrong end of a “bad call”?

The Bible explains in Proverbs 29:11, “A [shortsighted] fool always loses his temper and displays his anger, but a wise man [uses self-control and] holds it back.”

The reality is, things in life are going to make us angry. However, as followers of Jesus, we must always yield to the Holy Spirit in moments of frustration and remain calm.

We must pray that God would give us the necessary composure and help us respond with the right words before crossing the line and saying something we’ll regret.

Proverbs 17:14 gives us this warning: “The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes]; therefore abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode.”

We need the Lord’s strength to help us overcome the anger that leads to sin. We also need Him to show us the deeper issues that may be causing our regular outbursts.

Today, when “calls” don’t go our way, let’s choose to win instead of losing our temper.

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that my anger has caused me to cross the line at times. I pray that in moments of frustration, I would turn to You for strength. Teach me to honor You when I face conflict and frustrations. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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