Making a three-pointer

Now that school is out and summer has begun, I have been trying to get into a routine of going to the YMCA in the morning; getting a workout and shooting some hoops.

I went yesterday and my normal workout partner didn’t show up, so I figured I would just shoot around instead. I feel pretty comfortable shooting inside the three-point arch, but beyond that is bad news bears. However, I have this dream that someday I will be able to make a couple of those.

While shooting around I was working on my three-point shot, making sure I had my feet square, a good release, and getting legs under my shot. Just about every one of my attempts sailed off the rim, most going off the front of it. I kept running after my ball, going back to the three-point line, and going through my routine all over again; but time and again I kept missing. I thought I was doing everything right, but my shot wouldn’t go through the hoop.

Psalm 105:4 says, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek His face always.” Peter is a good example of this when he was commanded by Jesus to walk out on the water. When Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk, but when he started to look at the wind and the waves he began to sink.

So after missing countless shots, I realized that I wasn’t focusing on the hoop when I shot. I focused on making sure my form was right, but my eyes were not on what I was aiming for. So I made sure that I kept my eyes focused on the hoop when I shot, “Swish.” I tried again, “Swish.” I was thinking, ‘wow all I have to do is look at where I am shooting, why didn’t I figure this out before?’ I think I made five in a row, and then I started forgetting about keeping my form right. I thought all I had to do was keep my eyes focused on the hoop. A few shots were still going in, but most began to sail off the rim.

I was confident in my new approach to my shot, but I had forgotten to put in all the work to make sure my form was right.

Ephesians 2: 8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast” (bold added). Then if you read James 2:20 it says, “faith without works is dead” (bold added).

This reminds me of my three-point shot. Even though I put in the work to get my form right, and put up a lot of shots, none were going in. All were landing short of the hoop. I wasn’t looking at the hoop, I was relying on my own form. Just as I had my eyes set on the hoop, but because I wasn’t putting in the work to get my form right, the ball again landed short of the hoop.

Only when my eyes were focused on the hoop and I worked to make sure my form was right did I have the highest percentage of making the basket.

Is your sight set on the Lord? Are you allowing God to use your faith to work in the lives of others? Will your good deeds alone save you when it comes time to be judged?