“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Did They Do Enough to Get Invited to the Dance?
Sunday, March 12, 2017 should be an historic day for the Northwestern University men’s basketball team. If they are chosen to participate in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, it will be the first time in the seventy-eight year history of the tournament for the Wildcats. Most, if not all, college basketball “experts” believe it is not if, but when they are selected. Coach Chris Collins is turning the program around. Sunday should be an exciting day for the team, the university and alumni, including a long list of famous alums.
Every year the selection committee pours over win – loss records, strength of schedule, “quality” wins and a myriad of other analytics to choose the sixty-eight team field. There will be debates about the last few teams that make the tournament and those who do not. Those “bubble” teams will sweat it out hoping to hear their name called. Once those teams play their last conference tournament game their tournament fate will no longer be in their hands. They will be asking themselves, “Did we do enough?”
In relation to eternity, many people ask the same types of questions, “Have I done enough?” “Was I good enough for God to let me into heaven?” “Will the good I did outweigh the bad?” The answer for everyone is no. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
No one can do enough or give enough to merit selection into eternity. It is a gift for all who believe, not do. Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Selection Sunday is a great day. Every team will celebrate when their name is announced whether it is the first time like the Northwestern Wildcats or the fifty-eighth time for another Wildcats team, Kentucky. There will be some teams sitting on the edge of their seats, wondering, “Did we do enough to get in?” You do not need to worry about your entrance into God’s family if you believe in Jesus and have faith in Him.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” — 2 Timothy 2:15
Longtime tennis commentator and former professional player Darren Cahill recently told a fascinating story in an interview about an encounter he had years ago with now-retired tennis legend Roger Federer. Cahill spoke about how he had the opportunity to spend a week with Federer while he was still actively playing and was stunned at the level of practice intensity Federer put in every day. Cahill noted that when most people saw Federer practicing on the courts at a tournament or before a match, it always looked like he was just going through a gentle warmup at a local club.
After seeing Federer put in these high-intensity, four- or five-hour training sessions in private with no public eyes looking on, Cahill asked why he never showed this level in public practice. Federer simply said that by the time he’d arrive at a tournament, the hard work was already done in the lead-up. All that was left was to just feel the ball and feel good about his game. His point was that the tedious, dedicated work and time that you put in on a private court or an empty stadium when nobody is watching is where the real results happen. What you see in the tournaments and important matches are just the byproduct.
Brain scientists have discovered that, in challenging moments, we don’t necessarily “rise to the occasion” as much as we fall back on our level of preparation. And the Bible only further emphasizes this when speaking about the importance of doing the small, unseen things well that later add up in the times when it counts the most.
First Peter 3:15 talks about always being “prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Proverbs 6:6-8 speaks of observing the ant and how it prepares itself in harvest for the winter. Matthew 24:44 says that we must be ready for the unknown hour when Jesus comes back. Matthew 25:1-11 tells the story of the 10 virgins and how only five made the effort be sure they were prepared for the groom’s arrival. Second Timothy 2:15 (above) states that there is no shame if we have done our best to present ourselves approved to God.
When it comes to our faith and even the results we see in the workplace or on the field or court of play, the choices we’ve made and the things we’ve done when nobody except God is watching are what set us up for success or failure in the big moments. The adjustments we’re willing to make, the personal growing we do, the preparation we give attention to in the privacy of our own homes, closest relationships and time spent with God is the stuff that will equip us for the big moments when we need it the most.
We won’t be made in the visible situations when everyone is watching, but rather in the seemingly insignificant moments when what we’re doing is setting the tone for what happens tomorrow.
Last month, champions were crowned in various sports in the United States. Two had the opportunity to share that honor on the same day: The Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA championship over the Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series, and the College World Series saw its 2025 champion, LSU, celebrate its victory over Coastal Carolina in a series sweep.
Five days earlier, the Florida Panthers won their second Stanley Cup in a row by beating the Edmonton Oilers in six games. And if you’re a diehard football fan, you know the United Football League held its championship game with the D.C. Defenders outscoring the Michigan Panthers, 58-34.
All these teams will cherish and savor the victory for years to come. They will remember the struggles, the teamwork, the individual achievements, but most of all they will know the championship is theirs through their victory.
In 1 Corinthians 15:57 (above), the apostle Paul tells us about another victory we can all have by no effort of our own. In fact, this victory requires no work at all. No heavy lifting, training, running sprints, or studying a playbook is involved. Paul states we can have victory over our sin and death through Jesus Christ. None of us can atone for our sin. There is nothing we can do to eradicate our guilt, no matter how many good deeds we do, how many stars we get, or how much money we give to charities or the church.
It is only through what Christ has done for us on the cross of Calvary, by paying the penalty for sins through His death. We are guaranteed eternal life through His resurrection from the grave three days later. Victory! But it is only by faith in Jesus Christ, confessing and repenting of our sins, and trusting Him for salvation that He gives us the victory.
Don’t feel you need to play a part in achieving this victory. There’s nothing you can do — Jesus did it all. It’s like you’re a bench player who never plays even a minute all year, or you’re on the sidelines due to injury — you still get that championship ring even though there was nothing you could do.
Championships are nice, but victory over sin and death is much better. Make sure you get your ring.
“Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.’” — Mark 5:22-23
Trust is simple — until it’s not. It’s easy to say “I trust God” when life is smooth, but what about when you’re out of answers? When the pressure’s on and everything feels like it’s falling apart?
In Mark 5, we meet some people who reached the end of their rope — and that’s exactly where Jesus met them: a synagogue leader named Jairus, a woman who’d been suffering for 12 years, and Jairus’ grieving family. They had all heard about Jesus and knew the stories; now they needed those stories to be true. That’s what trust really is — believing someone is who they say they are and will do what they say they’ll do.
Jesus is inviting us into a different way of living: not by sight, not by noise, but by faith.
Jairus had a lot to lose. A leader in the synagogue, a respected voice in the religious community, he wasn’t supposed to come to Jesus, especially not with so many eyes watching. But his daughter — his world — was dying. And when what we love most is slipping away, reputation takes a back seat to desperation.
Athletes know this kind of moment. You’ve trained hard, the championship’s on the line, your body’s giving out. But you don’t care how you look, who’s watching, or what people will say. You lay it all out there. You give everything — because that’s what love does.
Jairus threw himself at Jesus’ feet. Not because it was proper, but because it was necessary. His trust was raw, risky, courageous, and Jesus received it. When the stakes are high — your family, your future, your identity — what do you do? Do you keep up appearances? Or do you fall at His feet?
Reflection: What is the thing you love most? Are you willing to trust Jesus with it, even if others don’t understand?
Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston brings the ball up the court, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Sunday’s 102-83 victory over the Dallas Wings means the Indiana Fever are one win away from entering the WNBA’s All-Star or Olympic break with a winning record for the first time since 2012. With superstar Caitlin Clark missing almost half the season through injury, it has fallen on the team’s other All-Star starter, third-year center Aliyah Boston, to help make up for Clark’s absence.
Boston is third on the team in scoring (a career-high 16.2 points per game) and leads the Fever in field goal percentage (a career-best 58.3%), rebounding (7.9) and blocks (1.1). Boston, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and three-time MVP A’ja Wilson are the only three players averaging at least 16 points and more than 7.8 rebounds per game.
Born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Boston and her sister moved to Massachusetts to live with their aunt so they could further their academic and basketball careers. The Fever took Boston with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, following a stellar college career at the University of South Carolina.
Her accomplishments were honored Monday at the Massachusetts State House in Boston, where the Fever will face the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday at TD Garden, home of the NBA’s Boston Celtics. Governor Maura Healey and City Councilor Brian Worrell declared it “Aliyah Boston Day” in the city of Boston. She was a three-time Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year while at Worcester Academy, an hour west of Boston, becoming a five-star recruit before joining South Carolina.
“Don’t let anyone determine your worth or let anyone tell you what you can or can’t be in life because you’re more than that and everyone’s path is different,” Boston said during a ceremony. “So don’t compare your path to the person to your left or the person to your right, because it’s never going to be the same. So just embrace your journey and do the best that you can and dream big.”
“Born in Saint Thomas, raised with deep roots in the Caribbean, she came to Massachusetts with a dream and work ethic that wouldn’t quit and a purpose bigger than basketball.”
yesterday, the City of Boston proclaimed July 14, 2025 as “Aliyah Boston Day” at the Massachusetts… pic.twitter.com/uiaTVR8ngN
Following Tuesday’s game, the Fever will face the Liberty in New York on Wednesday, then Boston will return to Indianapolis to play in the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday. She was the third-leading All-Star vote-getter behind Clark and Collier and was Clark’s first pick in the All-Star draft. It is Boston’s third All-Star selection in as many years and her second time being voted a starter.
This one carries an added significance with Indianapolis hosting the game. Boston and Clark have become the cornerstones of Indiana’s rebuilding effort that led to the franchise’s first playoff appearance in eight years last season.
“I had that dream on my heart, and I feel like that’s why I’m in the position that I am now, because I trusted God’s plan for me but also, I put in the work,” Boston said in a WNBA video last year. “There’s just so many opportunities and doors I’ve been blessed to walk through.”
Boston’s confidence on the court comes from the trust she has in the Lord. She goes into every game knowing God has prepared her for whatever she is going to face.
“Before the starting lineups [are announced], I always take a moment and pray,” she said. “I always tell myself, like, ‘I’m equipped.’ God has prepared me for everything, and that just brings me peace because I know that whatever happens on the court, I’m ready for it.”
Though she is one of the WNBA’s most popular players, Boston wants to be known as a follower of God first and a basketball player second.
“I think we get confused sometimes that just because we play a sport and that’s what we do as our profession, that that’s just who we are,” she said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things for me, is just being able to see God through me. It’s my faith, it’s my family, that makes me me.”
The Fever-Sun game tips off on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, with the Indiana-New York game at 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday on CBS Sports Network, and the All-Star Game at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC.
