UNPACK This...March Madness and God's Matchless PowerSample

Good Versus Best

Before a college basketball team can play in the Big Dance, it must secure its place in the tournament.

During the season, countless fans frequently check “bracketology” websites to see their team’s chances of participating in March Madness.

The most anxious fans are the ones who cheer for teams “on the bubble,” which means their tournament destiny is up in the air.

The group that determines the fate of these wishful tournament teams is the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

Although it may not seem difficult, choosing the 36 best at-large teams can be challenging. As past tournaments have shown, more than 36 teams are capable enough to win games in the tournament every year.

For the Selection Committee, numerous “good” teams must be left out of the field to make room for the 36 “best” teams.

As followers of Jesus, we face daily choices that must be made. And much like the Selection Committee, we often have to choose between “good” and “best.”

In his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote, “All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up” (1 Corinthians 10:23).

We often forget that choosing to do something that’s not inherently sinful doesn’t necessarily mean we made the wisest decision.

God has called each of us to study His Word so we might learn to choose what is “best” over what is “good.” The more we read our Bibles, the better we’ll discern which decisions would be the most pleasing to the Lord.

With the 24 hours we have each day, we will have to frequently say “no” to things that aren’t sinful and focus our attention on the most excellent things.

So let’s take a moment today to assess how we spend our time. Do we make choices that reflect God’s value system…or routinely settle for “good” over “best”?

I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me not to settle for good decisions, but to spend my time doing the best things. Give me the wisdom to see how You value things so that I might align my life with Your priorities. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.