College basketball’s regular season has ended, and March Madness is officially underway.
I love this time of year and can’t wait to experience all the games. As you probably know, I am a Duke fan, and this year is especially exciting because they have a strong chance of winning the National Championship.
On Saturday, they beat their rival UNC for the second time this season and secured the outright ACC regular season title. As the game ended, I heard ESPN’s analyst Jay Bilas say about Duke, “This is a complete basketball team.”
He’s right because the team is deep, versatile, dominant on both sides of the floor, has size and speed, and has been consistent all season. They aren’t perfect, but they’re complete.
They have a combination of talented freshmen and seasoned veterans, and everyone has their role and embraces it. They are well-coached, and the team’s chemistry is evident.
As deep as they are, they have two very impressive freshmen. Cooper Flagg is the favorite to win the Wooden Award as the best player in college basketball. Kon Knueppel has been a difference-maker all over the court during the entire season. Both are expected to be top NBA draft picks when they decide to go pro.
After Duke beat UNC on Saturday, Jay Bilas also said, “...Cooper Flagg, a complete player…Kon Knueppel, a complete player as well. Those are two very polished and mature first-year players.”
Based on the type of players Duke has on its roster and how they’ve played together in such a dominating way, it’s fair to say that this team has everything they need to win a National Championship. Duke is a complete team, lacking in nothing.
Many readers don’t want to read that, but it sets us up for an important spiritual parallel today. As followers of Jesus, we have everything we need to win!
2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT) tells us, “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
When we surrender to Jesus, He is all we need to be saved. We are also given God’s Word, the Holy Spirit, and the power, strength, grace, and wisdom to live a victorious life on earth and become spiritually mature believers. We are equipped to live a life that honors God and does His will.
Hebrews 13:21 (NLT) says, “…may He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.”
Duke is a complete team, and Flagg and Knueppel are complete players, but they aren’t finished developing or accomplishing what they set out to do. They will be tested in the ACC and NCAA tournaments, and we will see if they can endure. They can continue to grow, go deep in the tournament, and become a championship team.
As followers of Jesus, we are complete because of Christ. In Him, we have His righteousness and are saved from sin and death.
Colossians 2:9-10 (AMP) declares, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of God]. And in Him, you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power].”
In one sense, we are complete, but we acknowledge we aren’t finished developing or accomplishing what God has prepared us to do. So, as we continue to live on earth, relying on Jesus to help us endure, we are tested and have the opportunity to deepen our faith, grow in our character, and become more like Jesus.
James 1:2-4 (AMP) encourages us to “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.”
Today, just like Duke has no excuse not to pursue the Championship and overcome the tests along the way because they’re a complete team with everything they need, we have no excuse not to pursue the victorious life and overcome the tests we face.
We aren’t perfect, but we are complete in Christ, and He gives us everything we need to do God’s will and become who He’s called us to be.
I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to be complete and in right standing with You because of Jesus’ righteousness. I desire to continue to grow and become more like Him. Please continue to equip me to do Your will and overcome the trials in life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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