Kenny Smith played professional basketball for 10 seasons. He won two championships with the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995. I recently heard him on a podcast in which he was asked about young players entering the NBA. He concluded his answer by sharing a piece of advice he used to share with rookies on his teams: “Just because you don’t play, doesn’t mean you can’t play.”
 
His point was that the amount of playing time you receive as a young player is not always indicative of your ability. There may be other factors as to why you are not receiving playing time. His encouragement was to keep the self-belief and keep working so they would be ready when their moment arrived.
 
A meaningful reflection of Jesus happens as we define ourselves by who Jesus says we are and not what He is currently asking us to do.
 
Humans tend to be doers and we define our worth by what we do and accomplish. We can see, chart, and compare what we do. Our accomplishments are an easy well for us to draw meaning from…Unfortunately, it’s not the right well.
 
Our value as people begins with the fact that we are image bearers of God. We are valuable first and foremost because we are made in the image of God. We are valuable because God loves us. In fact, He created us so we could be in relationship with Him. He gives us responsibilities and tasks to perform so that we can love the world around us and point others to God.
 
Truth: Your full value is not found in what you are doing and what you can see in this current moment.
 
The size of the task God is asking of you at this moment is not representative of your value to Him. We go through different seasons of life where we are doing and carrying more than at other times. You may be in a season of waiting, preparation or recuperation. That doesn’t mean you lack value, it doesn’t mean God can’t work through you. In fact, we should draw encouragement from the notion that God is at work at all times, in all things. It doesn’t have to feel like God is working in order for God to be at work.
 
When we draw our meaning from the correct place, we are able to be where God wants us, doing what God wants us to do no matter the size, glamour, or weight of the assignment.
 
My prayer for you as you begin the new year is to remember why you are valuable and to walk in your current assignment with contentment and joy.
 
Keep Reflecting Jesus!