Team Player

Dawson scowled as he climbed into the car after basketball practice. "What's wrong, Dawson?" Mom asked. "Did your practice not go well?""No!" Dawson responded. "We split into teams for a practice game, and my team won by four, and I scored twenty-eight points! But instead of congratulating me, Coach lectured me after the game. He said I was hogging the ball and taking risky shots. He's going to sit me out half of our game this Friday so the other guys get to play more." Dawson shook his head. "It's not fair, Mom! I'm the best player on our team! I should be on the court." Mom started driving home. "Do you remember when Dad was offered that high school teaching job last year?" she asked. "Sure," Dawson replied. "But he turned it down because he likes teaching middle school better, right?""Actually, your dad has always wanted to teach high school," Mom explained. "But to take the job, our family would've had to move. You would've had to switch schools in the middle of the year, and I would've had to quit my new job at church. Your dad and I didn't think it would be a good fit for our family, so he turned down the job."Dawson looked confused. "So Dad turned it down because of us?" "Yeah," said Mom. "You know, Dad's decision reminds me of a verse in First Corinthians that says not to seek your own good, but the good of many. The Bible tells us that life isn't about making ourselves happy--it's about knowing Jesus and sharing His love with others. Even though He's God, He became human and died for us so we could have eternal life with Him, and He wants to help us show that same kind of love to others. But in order to do that, we have to think about others and how our actions affect them."Dawson was quiet for a moment. Finally, he sighed. "I guess I could share the ball more with my teammates. Coach thinks it'll help them play better if they have more time handling the ball."Mom smiled. "Sounds like you're starting to think about the good of many, Dawson. And you know what? That kind of thinking might just make you a better player yourself."-Amy Tol