What does one have to do if one wants to be a good dribbler? One has to submit to the physical realities of basketball. What the heck does that mean? One has to learn the how the ball interacts with the ground after one applies a certain amount of controlled pressure from one's fingertips with a certain amount resulting in the basketball reacting in a certain way with the ground, also learning to angle the push of the fingers in a certain way to result in the ball bouncing back in the reverse direction that it has impacted the ground with etc. In the beginning, if one wants to be "free" and just does whatever one wants and expects the basketball to listen to one's mind, then the newbie will not become a proficient basketball player. Even though one wants to be able to control the ball like Kobe Bryant/Steve Nash/Allen Iverson, one cannot be like them just by "doing whatever one feels like" without submitting to the physical realities of the basketball realm. It is not the case that the ball has to listen to us (at least at this stage). On the contrary, we have to listen to the ball. We have to learn how the ball reacts with certain kinetic energy in whatever direction from whatever various causes. One has to "cooperate" with the nature of the workings of how dribbling a basketball works. This is VERY hard in the beginning. If one has never played basketball in one's life before, dribbles for the first time, one is for a challenge. It is friggin hard to control that stubborn sphere! It just doesn't go wherever your mind wants it to go! It's really restricting of one's movements (if one is to dribble while moving)! And it seems unthinkable in the beginning to be able to one day dribble proficiently with one's non-dominant hand, through the legs, behind both legs, and do extended dribbling without looking at the basketball.
What happens after a while after the baller submits oneself to the physical realities of basketball, learns how it works, creates subconscious "automatic bodily responses" to keep the ball in one's control, and renders one's whole being so familiar with the physical realities of basketball? One learns how to then control the basketball as if the basketball itself were another body part of one's body! One becomes so familiar with the physical realities of basketball that one can then start controlling where the ball goes, not because one "takes over the mind" of the basketball, but because one knows how the basketball functions and works alongside in coordination with the basketball's functions, and as a result, in a sense, can "control" the basketball. In this sense the basketball submits to the baller's mind now, not by violating physical laws, but by obeying them! It is the baller who has become familiar with the physical laws so much that one can do what was unthinkable before. The baller can now dribble proficiently with both one's dominant hand as well as one's non-dominant one. The baller can dribble between the legs without any trouble, behind both legs, as well as dribble without looking at the ball and just look straight ahead. If the baller's REALLY good, one can even dribble between the legs while simultaneously walking up and down stairs!
The same is practicing the presence of God in order to accomplish God's will. Dribbling well (to the point where the ball can be controlled to the degree where it feels as if it's part of one's body) can be roughly equated with mastering practicing the presence of God. Playing basketball well (scoring on the opponent, maintaining the posession of the ball and keeping it out of the opponent team's hands, defending the ball from being sunk into one's own net) can be equated with doing loving acts, remaining in God's will and not doing anything against God's will (sin).
Ladies and gentlemen, that's how it works in the spiritual world. One can try to develop the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5) one's "own" way, by just trying to "will" it with one's mind and demanding it to appear on the spot without really understanding how the spiritual realm works, and how God transforms lives to naturally and effortlessly do his will as an outflow from one's heart (Hebrews 10:16). It's not that God can't change anyone in anyway, but he has chosen, in general, to change his chosen people through certain patterns of working (not legalistic rules, but nevertheless consistent principles). And it is our job to find out how he works in the spiritual world and work alongside with him, work with the "rhythm" of his working and let him change us in the process. "Remaining in the vine" (John 15) is not something that is to be merely studied in an academic bible study, attempted for 2 days, then not taken seriously ever again. It is a lifetime skill that takes years to get a good grasp on. I've been at it for over a year and a half, grasped quite a bit relative to where I was when I first started but still have such a long way to go to fully master it. In the beginning, just like first learning how to dribble a basketball, it is STRENUOUSLY hard. One cannot just demand to immediately master it in a week. One has to submit oneself to spiritual reality, realize how the Spirit works, and learn how to constantly remain in a position where one can stay consciously connected with God throughout the day (e.g. mercilessly get rid of distractions while ruthlessly seeking the Kingdom first, keeping emotions as servants in our lives but not masters [1 corinthians 6:12], physically breathing slower with more peaceful body movements in general, consciously interpreting all "scenes" of one's life in God's sovereignty while denying oneself, recite and meditate on scripture throughout the day as a regular habit, in general talk less and listen more to others in interaction [James 1:19], frequently pray and hope that others become better than oneself, be in a state of conscious dependence on God for both big and small things and not trust in one's own abilities for success etc.) so that the Spirit can then transform us and produce the fruit of the Spirit in us while we do our part in "remaining in Jesus" aka practicing his presence. These spiritual laws have to be recognized, submitted to, and learned to be cooperated with. Once again, it is EXTREMELY hard in the beginning.
However, after a while, it starts to become more "natural" as one cooperates with how the spiritual world works and how the Spirit works. As a result of submitting, learning, and becoming one with the laws of the spiritual world/Holy Spirit, one can do what one thought was the immpossible: Remaining in Jesus aka being in conscious awareness of Jesus throughout the day in activities such as talking to one's friends, listening to a speaker, working out, playing games, reading, attending a party, watching a movie etc. These activities, which one used to forget about God in and where one was completely unaware of God's presence during their happening, now lead to producing the fruit of the Spirit in us naturally. We do the connecting with God, and God does the transforming while we remain connected with Him. It starts to become second nature. The presence of God starts to become a portion of one's natural consciousness, just like how the physical basketball starts to become like a portion of one's physical body. But in practicing God's presence, it's different, it not only becomes a part of one's consciousness, it starts to influence the whole consciousness and transform it! We then start to play the game well, for example "dunk" like Carter, "sink in jumpers" like Kobe, control the ball like Nash. In the spiritual world, we start to do God's will more and more naturally taking God's presence with us! For example, we learn to bless those who curse us, we learn to genuinely not care if we unjustly get yelled/scolded/mocked at by others, we learn to start wanting others to do better than us, we start to not worry about things that we used to worry about, we learn to love others in action and listen and actually care about their existence without any hidden motives! In God's world, when we keep possession of the basketball (Jesus), the basketball transforms us to play like Kobe.
The cool thing is, that there is no one way to practice God's presence. Although there seems to be commonalities among saints throughout the ages who have mastered it (just like how there are commonalities between the dribbling styles of NBA stars), there is nevertheless individual distinction in personal styles in how people find certain styles resonating with them more than others.
Christian history celebrates the diversity of how different Christian traditions have mastered it.
It is just like how all these NBA stars in this Nike commercial have mastered the art of dribbling/handling the basketball and also have their own styles.
In the Christian traditions who have mastered practicing God's presence, there are likewise different ways or styles of "divine dribbling". Some, like the Quakers, "center down" into the "center of their spirit" and find Christ living there. Some, like Frank Laubach, have made it a habit to literally pray (a fraction of a second) for every single human being they come across as well as learn how to literally make every movement of one's body, including every limb, finger, mini-joint consciously for the glory of God (Brother Lawrence mastered the latter too). Some, like the Eastern Orthodox dudes, have disciplined themselves to say the Jesus prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner") until the Holy Spirit makes their heart say it automatically (literally automatically, so that they can go about doing their own tasks normally while this prayer keeps going on in the background of their minds, even when they sleep. Yes, this prayer does not stop when they sleep! That is their interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 5:17~!). Each tradition has its own style. There are no legalistic rules, just what style works for you. Different styles. Same principle of remaining consciously aware of God's presence. Same results that produce the fruit of the Spirit. That's because John 15 and Galatians 5 are connected.
That being said, I've been listening to some epic basketball competition music for the past while! They help me keep this analogy (and also the God and his Kingdom) in my mind! (Yes, I do play them in my head as I go through the day!)
as well as
Matthew 24:14 records the words of our franchise owner: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
Ladies and gentlemen, there are many missionary organizations that believe the Great Commission will be fulfilled in this generation of ours. Who knows, it may, or it may not. There are some signs of stuff that Jesus talked about that came as warnings of the end (wars, famines, earthquakes etc.). Either way, my personal opinion is that we're somewhere in the 4th quarter of this divine playoff game. I can sense the "drama" of it in Toronto. God seems to be preparing people to play the 4th quarter in Toronto. It's exciting! I want to be a part of contributing to this through spiritual formation, to strengthen God's team by training people how to "dribble the ball" aka remain in God's presence throughout each moment (literally) to play the game!
It's part of our deepest heart's desires to be a part of something that really matters. Where the stakes are high, and consequences have eternal proportions. Where there is a constant "tug-of-war"/"back-and-forth" struggle of falling behind and taking the lead by a few points within moments. Where there is a huge audience consisting first of the 3 members of the Trinity, the thousands of angels and heavenly creatures, as well as all the saints who have finished playing in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarter, retired into the heavenly stands where they now support and cheer for us. The audience easily outnumbers the magnitude of all the worldcup audiences combined. This playoff game matters. The stakes are high. It is the center of attention to our friends upstairs.
I just finished watching this Taiwanese drama about basketball. It has cool music that accompanies the "drama" of hyped up basketball matches where the stakes are high each time.
This is the opening theme song.
This song is the "drama" song. The lyrics are kind of arrogant/prideful (so I either try to ignore them or interpret them in a twisted way that helps me to boast in Christ haha), but the attitude of the beat evoking feelings of "This basketball game means war!" just hypes me up when I think of all the parallels of this basketball Kingdom analogy. It just hypes me up, especially when there's closeups of determined players faces, as well as slow-mos of cool walking haha.
Ladies and Gentlmen! We're in the 4th quarter here! When Jesus comes again, he'll take things over in overtime and finish the game in his way. But until he comes, GAME ON! WHO'S WITH ME IN BALLIN' 'GAINST THE DEMONS?
the Lord, speaking to me, through this young man's words. thanks brother. great analogies.
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