Posting Up

“You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me.” John 5:39

I love the NBA Finals. This is the series where you usually see the most physical play down on the low block. This year's Finals featured two of the games best low post players battling it out on the block – Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett.

Eventually I am going to explain why I think posting up on the block is a good way to think when reading the Bible, but I am going to need to explain a few things first. So please, bear with me.

It can't be by coincidence that championship teams almost always have a guy who is great at creating in the post. And since the internet gives me all the space in the world, I am going to prove this to you.

2010: Los Angeles Lakers – Pau Gasol
2009: Los Angeles Lakers – Pau Gasol
2008: Boston Celtics – Kevin Garnett
2007: San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan
2006: Miami Heat – Shaquille O'Neil
2005: San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan*
2004: Detroit Pistons – Rasheed Wallace
2003: San Antonio Spurs – Tim Duncan*
2002: Los Angeles Lakers – Shaquille O'Neil*
2001: Los Angeles Lakers – Shaquille O'Neil*
2000: Los Angeles Lakers – Shaquille O'Neil*
*– Finals MVP

Working the ball into a good post player can not only get your team easy shots around the basket, but once the defense collapses into the paint to stop the post player, easier shots are available for others. Kobe Bryant didn't win any championships after Shaq left the team … until he got Pau Gasol. The Pistons won the Finals after trading for Sheed midseason. D-Wade got a championship after they traded for Shaq. The Celtics won the Finals their first season with newly acquired Kevin Garnett. All these teams immediately became championship contenders after picking up their respected big men – Did I mention the greatest winner of all time is Celtics big man Bill Russell?

I found an online definition of posting up, which defined it as, “To take up a position against a defender.” I have always played the post position growing up, and I have learned that there are certain positions around the hoop that I feel I can perform better at than others. For one, I usually prefer the right block over the left block because I can spin to my right better than my left. I also know that posting up around the three point line isn't going to turn out very successful.

John 5:39 says, “You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of me.” We read the scriptures so we are in a better position testify of our faith. Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” How can we confess that Jesus is Lord if we don't know who He is or what He has done? How do we believe God raised Him from from the dead if we have never read the story?

We need to search the scriptures for these answers. It's just like posting up. Go back and read the definition of posting up again, this time thinking in a spiritual context. The defender could be worldly things or sin or many other things preventing you from getting into God's word. Just like we post up in basketball to get in a better position to create shots, we read the scriptures to get in a better position to testify of Jesus and combat worldly things. There are three things to know about posting up:

Fight for position: Create time in your busy day to read the Bible. Don't get so consumed by your daily activities that you stop creating time for you and God. Sometimes this can be a struggle, but your team needs you to get that position.

Call for the ball: After you have gotten position we should be praying and calling out to God to use us for His will. So God can pass you the ball knowing that you are confident and ready for the next step.

Create or Score: Use the post position to create open shots for your teammates or score. Or use what you have learned in the scriptures to testify of the Lord Jesus. Be encouraging, lead by example, let others see what God is doing through you so that they might want to seek what you are seeking.

Just like Pau Gasol, KG, Tim Duncan, and Shaq help their teams win championships, God wants us to help lead others to Christ and eternal life.

Are you in the best position to help God's team? Are you capable of creating or scoring once God passes you the ball, or are you likely to get stuffed? It is in the scriptures that we learn who Jesus really is. If you believe in Jesus and who He is then we are promised eternal life – See John 3:16 and Romans 10:9.

Throw it down big-man, throw it down.