Wake Up, Look Up

Hello, everyone, and thanks for listening to Wake Up, Look Up, a podcast where we connect events happening in real time to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Zach Weihrauch, and in today's episode, we're asking the question, will you share the spotlight? This is prompted by an article I read in the Athletic, which is the New York Times sports website. And it was talking about Miami Heat basketball player Bam Adebayo, who recently scored 83 points in a basketball game all by himself, second most in NBA history. The Miami Heat were playing the Washington Wizards. That's helpful context here, because the Wizards have been bad my entire life. And Adebayo scored 83 of the team's 150 points. By the way, the Wizards scored 129. So Adebayo almost scored as many points as they did by himself. Now, that's interesting because Bam Adebayo is a good player, but he's not this kind of offensive scorer. Well, I guess nobody is. It's the second most of all time. But, he's known really more for his defense. So he played the game of his lifetime. And, it's an incredible achievement. But I'll tell you what I found even more interesting. two things. one is for a player to score 83 points. It really does take a team committed to that player's individual achievement. You got to force the ball to that player. You've got to set screens, rebound. You've really got to decide, hey, tonight is Bam Adebayo's night, and the rest of us are just getting out of the way. And you might think on a professional sports team full of really good players whose financial incentives are, based on what they do with on the court, that that would not be the case. But it was. The Miami Heat team wanted Bam to experience and achieve something incredible. In fact, after the game, the most encouraging thing I thought was the way his teammates talked about him. They were so happy for him. They were so excited to have witnessed his excellence. In fact, when I read the article, I was really convicted because I was asking myself, if I were an NBA player, would I have wanted to take a back seat to someone else's success? Would I have been willing for someone else to be the story? And, you know, I'm not an NBA player. I'm never going to be an NBA player. But I am a colleague, a husband, a father, a friend, and I found it challenging. will I celebrate the success of other people? Will I share the spotlight? You know, the Apostle Paul challenges us to do just that in Romans 12:10, when he says this, outdo one another in showing honor. Outdo one another in showing honor. Paul is hitting on something. You know, the gospel of Jesus says that I am loved not because of what I achieve. There's nothing I could do today that would cause God to love me less or cause God to love me more. He just simply loves me the most he can possibly love me. And the byproduct of that, which is, by the way, what the entire book of Romans is all about, Paul says, is a release from needing to be in the spotlight. Because, after all, the spotlight of the universe, of eternity is on Jesus Christ, not on me. And that's a good thing. He's the star, and I win because he wins. And Paul says, the way you know you're getting that is that you are actually willing to honor others. You no longer need to be honored. You've already been honored by the love of Jesus. And since your eyes are not on yourself anymore, you're free to notice and to celebrate the success and giftedness of. Of other people. Adebayo scoring 83 points is a fascinating thing. And if you're a sports fan, you know that. And if you're not a sports fan, you get it. But you don't really care. And that's okay, because this episode is not about scoring points in a basketball game. It's about seeing and acknowledging the giftedness and success of other people. In fact, let me challenge you this week to make it a point each day to identify one person in your life and to celebrate their giftedness out loud, in front of them, to them, in private, in an email. You pick the right method, you pick the right mechanism, but let them know you see their success. You're willing to pass them the ball, to set a screen, to rebound, to celebrate after the fact at all that they are and all that they've accomplished. Can you imagine the cultural impact that would have? I've been challenged by the Miami Heat to be willing to share the spotlight more in my life, and I hope you'll join me. Jesus Christ is watching our backs. So let's spend time enjoying and celebrating what's going on in the life of those around us. Hey, thanks for watching this episode of Wake Up, Look Up. If you enjoyed it, please help us get the word out by sharing it with someone you think might benefit from it. And while you're here, make sure to, subscribe to our YouTube channel to get further content or even download the CCC app, where you'll find even more resources to help you grow in your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.

Have an article you’d like Zach to discuss? Email us at wakeup@ccchapel.com!