Articles
Success
John Wooden, the famous college coach, was known for leading UCLA basketball to a number of championships. He was known as one who paid attention to details. In the very first practice, he would teach his players how to put on their socks and tie their shoes. He told them they of were of no use to him if they got blisters and could not play. Simple but important. However, the thing I remember most about him was how he defined success. He defined success as, “doing the best you could.” In all the championships, he never talked to his players about winning. He talked to them about doing the best they could. Winning would take care of itself. It did.
When I work with young men in preaching, I try to teach them success is not hitting that three pointer that wins the game. There will more times when simply making that one shot at the free throw line that makes the difference. Also, there will be those times when we miss every shot we take. However, if we do our best, that is success. If we hit that three pointer at the buzzer to win the game, did we do our best? If we miss that pivotal free throw, did we do our best? Then, either way, doing the best is the best we can do.
Consider that in the normal activities of life. Most of our lives are filled with mundane minutes, filling ordinary hours, followed by beige days. But even in those moments of life when the light shines on us, simply doing our best is all we can do. So if we do our best we are a success.
Moms and Dads, when you do the best you can do teaching and guiding your children, that is success. Success is not determined by what they do in life. It is determined by us setting the best example we can possibly set before them.
So much emphasis today is placed on the one who always wins. If not that, the emphasis is placed on everybody gets a trophy. Neither one of these help achieve success. If the emphasis is on always winning then when we lose we feel a failure. If everybody gets a trophy then there is no motivation to strive to be better. However, if we strive to do our best, then that is success.
Wooden developed his pyramid of success. That pyramid of success is “peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction knowing we did our best to become the best we are capable of becoming.” He did not emphasize performance but attributes like: loyalty, self-control, initiative, condition, team spirit, confidence, competitive greatness, all leading to faith and patience.
As Christians, all we can do is our best. Let’s do our best to let God conform us to be in the image of Him. Let’s do our best to demonstrate the fruit of the spirit. Let’s do our best to please the Father in all things at all times. Doing our best does not mean perfect. It does not mean we will always make straight A’s with God. Even with that “C” we are still doing our best.
On those rare occasions when we make the three pointer, remember, all we did was our best.
