He Said Something

The French Open, one of the four Grand Slam events in tennis, is underway. On Sunday, in the fourth round, the number 2-ranked Carlos Alcaraz won his match against Ben Shelton.

The story from the match isn't about his victory but rather the decision he made about a point he knew shouldn't have counted. During the second set's first game, Alcaraz made an impressive lunging volley that sent the ball over the net.

Despite the chair umpire awarding him the point, Alcaraz spoke up and admitted that he threw his racket to hit the ball. The rules indicate a player must maintain control of their racket while striking the shot, and he knew he had let go.

Even though he could have gotten away with it and continued playing, and he knew he would lose the point if he did the right thing and confessed the truth, he chose sportsmanship and integrity by alerting the chair umpire and declaring that his point shouldn't count.

He immediately made things right and indicated that the racket was out of his hand when it hit the ball. The chair umpire then gave Shelton the point and a chance to break serve.

Alcaraz explained afterward, "I thought, 'OK, I could not say anything.' But I would have felt guilty if I didn't say anything. It's just about if I know that I didn't [do], or I did, a wrong thing...I have to say. I have to be honest with myself. I have to be honest with Ben, with everyone...It's just about the respect we have against each other, and I think that sports, in general, should be like this."

His opponent, Ben Shelton, said, "I thought it was clean, you know? I thought he hit the volley, and [then] the racket flew out of his hand; I was kind of surprised that he was, like, 'No, I let go of the racket and threw it.'...Obviously, a guy with a lot of sportsmanship."

Ultimately, Alcaraz still won the match, and one point didn't make a huge difference, but it did make a difference in how he represented himself, and he earned respect for speaking up to acknowledge the truth.

As sports fans, we love stories like this, and sadly, they aren't as common as we wish. But Alcaraz's integrity and honesty are worth celebrating today.

I hope this story also challenges us in our own lives to prioritize integrity, honesty, and speaking up for the truth.

Some of us may still have opportunities for sportsmanship on the field or court (especially all the new pickleball players). Yet, for most of us, there are many more opportunities outside the athletic realm to represent ourselves with honesty and earn respect for choosing integrity.

As followers of Jesus, we should be willing to confess when we do something wrong or acknowledge when something isn't right. Simple opportunities arise when we are undercharged on a restaurant bill or when someone else deserves the proper credit for a completed task at work.

It's easy to "keep playing" and let it slide or get away with it because others may not be aware of the difference, but that's not the answer. We strive to live above reproach, with integrity, and acknowledge the truth whenever necessary.

Sometimes, we can convince ourselves that something isn't a big deal or isn't worth mentioning, but if we sense conviction by the Holy Spirit, then we need to be obedient and go above and beyond in doing what we can to make things right. We want to make it clear that we are operating with integrity and honesty.

Paul and Titus provide a good example, as seen in 2 Corinthians 8:21 (NIV): "For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man."

The book of Proverbs talks a lot about integrity, and here are a few verses:

Proverbs 10:9 (AMP): "He who walks in integrity and with moral character walks securely, but he who takes a crooked way will be discovered and punished."

Proverbs 11:3 (ESV): "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them."

Proverbs 28:6 (ESV): "Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways."

Today, let's ask God to help us represent Him with integrity and honesty and empower us to speak up for the truth, even in small matters.

Let's also remember what Jesus says in the Parable of the Unjust Steward found in Luke 16:10 (AMP): "He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little thing is also dishonest in much."

I'm Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to live a life that is above reproach and empower me to have integrity, honesty, and a willingness to speak up about the truth. I desire to be faithful even in the small things. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.