Over the past weekend, I came across a picture of Kobe Bryant. As a fan, I was surprised because I never saw this picture before. After looking at it a little longer and sharing it with my friends in our group chat, two things stuck out to me about this picture:
1. Kobe shooting a ridiculous, impossible looking shot with confidence.
2. The defense is still contesting it, just as if it were a regular shot.
Kobe shooting difficult shots was very common in his career. Being able to make tough shots is why he is considered one of the best scorers of all time. Even knowing all of that, looking at him attempt to shoot behind the backboard with so much focus on his face lets me know that a big part of him thought the shot was going in. Now that's confidence.
In your spiritual life knowing who Jesus is, accepting him as your savior gets you into heaven. Your faith + works and obedience builds confidence in trusting God to be in control over your life on earth. Confidence comes with knowing who God really is. Even when things look impossible, you know you have a God that can make things possible. To experience that, you must align within His will.
"and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him."
- 1 John 3:22
When you go back and look at the picture of Kobe, notice how well the defense is trying to contest and block a shot from a player that is behind the backboard. Kobe was that much of a threat to the defense behind the backboard just as if he were standing right in front of the rim.
This makes me think about our personal lives. The devil will not stop. He will trick and try to deceive you into thinking he can play good defense on you. He wants to attack you where you are most vulnerable. That is why sometimes in our life it feels like one bad thing comes after another nonstop. Biggest key and fact you must remember however, is the game is already won with Jesus. He is the ultimate teammate, coach, and player. Following Him guarantees victory.
So even knowing Kobe didn't make that shot, it's impressive how much impact he still had from every spot on the court with the ball. We all need to be more like Kobe and build our confidence up through the Lord so we can be an impact in all aspects of life!
