Welcome to Saturday. If you were here with me, we would be enjoying some biscuits and honey, with fresh peach slices. Our cups would be filled with Door County Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend Coffee and we could pray together.
Today I will be using a basketball metaphor to make my point. Being short in stature, but still liking basketball as a sport, I played a little B-Ball back in the day and can easily say that I wasn't very good at it. I did learn a lot about life though, playing on the court with friends and in a few leagues. The main thing that I learned was that those fellas that could play above the rim of the basketball hoop seemed to score the easier baskets. Those guys could reach higher and had more opportunity to score. You are saying to yourself right now, " Really Einstein? You figured that out all by yourself"? Hear me out. When I watch basketball and see a tall guy who has the ability to play above the rim but isn't consistently there I usually see him warming the bench sooner than later. For whatever reason he doesn't stay up above and plays down below where there is less chance to be successful.
2 Corinthians 8:21New International Version (NIV)
21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
In life, we all have the chance to play above the rim, and not be held in the quagmire below. What I am speaking of is playing the game of life above the rim of the world with honesty and integrity. The choice to not be swallowed up by the temptation of the easy way out of taking the short cuts of justifying sinful actions. For instance, everyone is doing it, is a cheap justification of accepting sin as a choice to move ahead in an action that seems to make things easier. Adding a few tax deductions, because we were sure we donated to some charity but yet do not have a receipt to show for it seems acceptable but is not right.
Honesty is marked as being free from deceit or untruthfulness, being sincere. The Christian life should be one marked with integrity and honesty, yet because we all sin and find it easy to do so, honesty is something we must work hard at! An honest life is important on so many levels from relationships with spouses and children, at our workplace, and interacting with our neighbors. Matthew 7:16 tells us that we are known by our fruit. Let us be examples of a God of truth and life by living lives of integrity and truthfulness. This applies to individuals, organizations and churches.
These small allowances of not playing above the rest, above the rim, really just leave us with a legacy of being in the game of life, but not willing to play above the cut. I think it would be best to be known as a "straight shooter" who's handshake was firm and meant that the deal was sealed when we shook hands and you can count on it. I would want to be the guy that finds twenty dollars in the stairwell and works to at least try and find the owner. Playing above the rim, allows for you to walk with a clean conscience and soothed soul.
So my question is this. Are you honest in all you do? Because God surely requires it.
God bless. Go ahead and shoot that three pointer today!
Marty
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Thanks for always playing above the rim my friend! Eat some peaches for me this morning. Hey don't feel bad to be among us who are not tall in stature. At least we're not in danger of goaltending! ;)
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