Don’t Feel Ashamed. Repent!

The game of basketball is a sport in which the player can be incredibly skilled yet still mess up super bad. 

For instance, Stephen Curry, on January 21, 2019, late into the third quarter, gets a steal and dribbles up the court with nobody there to play defense, planning on dunking. However, he slips and loses control of the ball. He and his teammate hurry to retrieve the ball because the Lakers have gotten down the court. His teammate grabs the ball and screens the defender. Stephen Curry, the undisputed greatest shooter of all time, is now wide open from the three point line. He jumps. The second it takes for him to release the ball feels like a lifetime. The ball rotates through the air gracefully…

And then airballs! 

The best shooter to ever hold a basketball just displayed one of the worst shot attempts I have ever witnessed, attempting a shot he could make in his sleep. 

What does somebody missing a three pointer in basketball have to do with the Bible? 

If one of the best basketball players ever can miss an easy shot, can’t an imperfect human being make a mistake and sin? 

The answer is, yes! Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” So when you sin, you should repent and ask God for forgiveness. But do not be ashamed for messing up when every human outside of Jesus has sinned. 

When you make a mistake, Satan and the world make you feel so ashamed and far from God, eventually ruining your relationship with him. First John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” When we sin, which there is no denying that we will, we need to confess our sins to God, and then work as hard as we can to not commit that sin again. Then God will forgive us and purify us from the effects of that sin. 

All in all, you can be the best in the world and still make mistakes. What truly matters is whether you are willing to humble yourself and confess your sins to God. God will forgive you and make your soul pure and free from sin.