Love

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love , and of self-discipline.

II Timothy 1:7

This isn’t some weak starry eyed thing.  This love is like what is described in Song of Solomon, flows like a river, burns brighter than a forest fire, and stronger than death.  When Jesus says to love your neighbor as yourself  it is with these qualities.  Don’t love them more than yourself, or less than yourself.

In basketball look at it this way.  Can you put yourself in  the other guys place.  On the same  play if you were the guy with the ball would it be blocking, and if you were the guy on defense would it be a charge?  And with teammates, your teammate is open for a much better shot than you have.  Can you make the pass that makes him look good, or do you take the shot because it can add to your stats.

When I was a freshman in high school our varsity played against the team that Paul Westphal was on.  Our coach devised a defense–triangle and two.  Two guys double teamed Paul and the other three played a zone.  It worked sort of.  He only scored 28 points, about 6 or 7 below his average.  Oh, and they won the game.  But it was in CIF playoffs that I was really impressed.  His team was down one point with a few seconds remaining.  He went up for the shot, and saw their freshman center open under the basket.  Paul made the pass, the freshman made the layup and they won the game.  What a confidence booster that this awesome senior would make the pass and depend on a freshman to win or lose the game.

When you start loving your teammates this way no telling how far you can go as a team.