Basketball Was My Life

Basketball was my life. It was the thing I was best at, and the thing people knew me by. It’s where I found my worth. My summers consisted of basketball camps every week. Being at the gym the whole day. Reading books on basketball, and watching game film. And then when the season finally came around my schedule got filled up with practices and games. Basketball was my life; it was where all my time was going. Basketball loved me, and I loved it back.

Basketball was the only thing that helped me get my mind off of life; it was the only place where I finally felt relaxed. Every time I got in a fight with my parents, I would just go outside and play basketball for hours straight.

But then I met this guy named Jesus. My whole life changed… a lot. I no longer found my worth in a sport, but in a person. I no longer need basketball to get my mind of things, because I now have a best friend who is an amazing listener.

When it came time for trying out for basketball next season, everything in me wanted to play this sport, but I knew God didn’t want me to. So I didn’t. Immediately my coach and team came up to me and asked why, I told them about church on Wednesday’s. They thought I was crazy, because they knew if I pursed basketball I would for sure get a scholarship. It took a lot to decline playing basketball. This would be the first season I sat out, didn’t start, didn’t have any practices.

Doing this actually made me really sad. I still am madly in love with basketball. I love the feeling of having an amazing game and your team, coaches, and audience congratulating you after it. I missed being on the court, beating my opponent, and then hitting the reverse layup, or fade away. I missed everything, even the lame referees. I told myself that I would play next season no matter what.

Well, now is the time I really start deciding if I am going to play for the varsity team or not. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I mean I would probably only be missing youth group. But still. See I can’t help thinking that if I choose to play next season that I’m choosing basketball over God.

So I decided to talk to my varsity coach this week. He’s an amazing man in Christ. His daughter actually goes to my church, and he goes to my best friend’s church. In my mind I was thinking, well maybe we could work out something. Once we finished talking, it was clear to me what I was supposed to do, he knew and I knew.

“You can’t serve two masters” –Coach Green

He was right, I mean I could probably skip youth Wednesday’s, but it was something bigger. See basketball is like a master, just like any other sport. It’s something that takes up most of your time, most of your thoughts. I couldn’t play basketball, and serve God.

Then I started looking at the bigger picture. If I continued playing basketball what would come from it? Why was playing so important? The colleges I’m looking at couldn’t give me a sports scholarship anyway. Also I want to either be a youth pastor or missionary, and neither of those has to do with basketball. But they do have to do with God. So why would I give up going to church, for something I don’t even want to do?

It’s so crazy to think that I may never be on the court again competitively. Ouch, how that stings in my heart. Today I saw this tweet,

“To do what you love you will sometimes have to give up doing what you like” – @thezoof

I love Jesus. I like basketball. Jesus tells me He has big, awesome, mighty plans for me, bigger than I can imagine! So if giving up this little thing, as hard as it is, helps me further my relationship with Jesus, then I am fine with that.

Basketball was my idol, but not anymore. I know my worth now. Thank God(: