Lessons From My Dad: The Most Important Shot is the Next One

Here is another lesson from my dad: The most important shot is the next one. I have a very tender heart and tend to beat myself up when I make a mistake. Any time I would miss a shot while playing basketball, Dad would see me get down on myself. After each game, Dad would sit me down and remind me that the shots I missed were gone. Done. Could not be recovered. Then he would urge me to collect myself and focus on the next shot. That is the only shot that I could control. Dad knew how much I loved to play basketball and would find ways to give me wisdom that connected practical life wisdom to my passion for basketball. This adage he shared with me was true whether playing golf, basketball, tennis, or any sport. But it was also true of life in general. What a great life lesson. Paul says in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” You can’t live life looking in the rearview mirror. Not only is it a distraction, it’s dangerous. Do you remember yesterday’s lesson discussing the importance of arriving at your destination? A life focused on what is behind you can keep you from reaching your desired arrival point. If you have missed a shot, the most important shot is the next one. Forget what is behind. Press on toward what is ahead. For God desires you to believe there is still much you can accomplish for him and his glory.