The Boston Celtics have always been my favorite basketball team, probably my favorite team of any sport. Now, yesterday, they beat the Orlando Magic to go to the NBA Finals. This is big news around here in Boston, because the Celtics didn’t exactly have a great year. Based on what they did during their season, they weren’t expected to make it too far into the playoffs. Now, they’ve pretty easily beaten every team they’ve faced in the playoffs, including the two teams who had the best seasons. What happened that they’re so good right now?
I was checking out the paper yesterday and I read what their coach, Doc Rivers, said. See, it was during the season when the team wasn’t playing well, and people were wondering what to do. Even some of the players were fighting among themselves. There was a lot of doubt, a lot of thoughts of change. Should they bench some players? Try some different player combinations? Maybe change the game plan. Or, maybe make some trades for new players. People were thinking that a lot of the star players were getting too old.
But Coach Rivers said no to all of that. In the middle of all the turmoil, he held to his convictions. He said, “We are keeping things the same. We have it inside of us. All we have to do is get it back out.”
After Jesus was baptized, He began to fulfill His mission. He entered His local synagogue and read aloud to everyone from the Scriptures:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Lk 4:18-19)
The Lord didn’t come to bench the poor, or move prisoners around, or make up a new system for the oppressed, or replace the blind with people who can see. He doesn’t come up with political reforms or new technologies or new ways to organize society to make it more efficient and peaceful and prosperous. No, this isn’t how He brings the world to fruition and establishes His Kingdom. His mission is a mission of restoration. “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev 21:5)
We have it inside of us. All we have to do is get it back out.
When your life is off course, when it seems like things aren’t working out like you expected, and when you start to have doubts and think you need a big change, remember, God wants to keep things the same. He’s not going to take you out of your circumstances, or switch things around in life, or change the game plan, or replace you with someone else.
No, He knows that you already have what you need inside of you.
All you have to do is get it back out.
ALM 