Living, Dying, Living Forever. David Sherbino
Harvard, Donnie Nelson, the president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks and a committed Christian, called him and told him that God had a perfect plan for him.
Later Lin received offers to play on multiple teams, including the Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. In the end, he signed with the Warriors, then was released after a year without much opportunity to play.
Eventually the New York Nicks claimed Lin off waivers but assigned him to Erie BayHawks of the D-League. After a while he was called up to fill in for injured Nicks’ players, and he became an overnight sensation when he helped secure seven consecutive wins for the Nicks. He was the first NBA player to score at least 20 points and 7 assists in each of his first 4 starts.
His fame began to rise. Despite the recent fame and popularity, Lin remained committed to his game, his team and his faith. He stated,
God’s given me a unique platform and right now I am trying to use it in the right way…I can use national television, I can use the media in a way to talk about my faith, to talk about how much God has done in my life, and not what I’ve done to make it to the NBA.
He admits that he struggles with pride, but he constantly reminds himself that his identity lies in Christ and not his NBA career. He states,
I’m not playing for anything on this earth, I’m playing for my prize in heaven, for the upward call that Paul talks about, that’s what I need to remind myself every day when I wake up. I [have] to really understand that I’m not playing for all my fans, for my family, even for myself, I really have to play to glorify God…And when other people see me play basketball…the way I treat my teammates, the opponents, the refs, that’s all a reflection of God’s image and God’s love so that’s the stuff I try to focus on.
Every day Jeremy Lin must forget the struggles of the past and let go of the success of the present and focus on “one thing,” playing for the glory of God.
Paul said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize” (Philippians 3:14). It was an intentional effort on his part. He did not live in the past, he did not keep looking over his shoulder, he kept moving forward. Was he successful? At the end of his life he would clearly state,
The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6–8)
As he reflected on his life Paul was able to say that he did not become discouraged and decide to quit. Despite various obstacles he ran the race and remained true and faithful to Christ, and as a result of his faithfulness he knew there was laid up for him a “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8). This crown is eternal life.
This is the promise of God for all who keep looking forward with one focus in life and remain faithful to their calling as followers of Jesus Christ.
There are things in the past we need to forget. There are things in our past that are both good and bad that can overshadow the future, and we miss the eternal perspective that God intends for us. We need to be moving forward. Take some time to consider your journey of life. Are you living in the past, or do you live with an eye to the future, enjoying every moment God gives to you?
David Livingston was born into a working class family in Blantyre, Scotland, and at the age of 10 he started working at a cotton mill for 14 hours a day. At night he would study, and through Scotland’s enlightened higher education system he studied medicine, first at Anderson College, Glasgow, and then at the British and Foreign Medical School in England. The year he graduated from medical school he was ordained a missionary by the London Missionary Society, and he set out for South Africa. From 1841 until his death in 1873 Livingston’s aim was to bring Christianity to Africa and to end the slave trade.
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