January 27, 2020 – Respect & Work Hard
You may have heard that one of the most famous basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant, died yesterday in an accident with his daughter.
Kobe was known for inspiring other people, so it’s okay to be sad that someone you look up to, respect and who inspires you is gone. We shouldn’t make famous people into more than that though, and sometimes fans almost worship them. Kobe wasn’t perfect, and he made some mistakes in his life, but at the end, he was trying to show kids how to try new goals, to create, and to always be working, and working hard. He once quoted his high school English teacher as saying “Rest at the end, not in the middle.” Another thing he was trying to show, is that you are not what you do–you are not just a basketball player, a smart kid, a good artist–you’re more than just that one thing.
Anytime you have someone you look up to–maybe a sports figure, a movie star, it’s great if they can help you be better. Kobe always tried to make the people around him work as hard as they could, and never give up. That’s a great message. But sometimes those famous people give us bad messages.
So be careful and remember the True one to always look up to for inspiration. Jesus is our role model, and He is the one we want to be like.
This is what you were chosen to do. Christ gave you an example to follow. He suffered for you. So you should do the same as he did
1 Peter 2:21 (ERV)
Dear Jesus, show me how to be more like you. Thank you for people around me like my parents, coaches, teachers–even pro athletes or actors who can inspire me to do my best and work hard. Amen.
