As I write, it’s the big sports story of the week. The Warriors made risky adjustments in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, “playing small” against the bigger Cavaliers. The strategy worked and it allowed the Warriors to even the series, with a large-margin win.
Of course, the series is far from over. The Cavaliers will surely seek to find a counter-strategy in Game 5. On the other hand, who knows what the Warriors will do next. By the time you read this “Ponderings” we’ll already have an idea how the Finals proceeded. But allow me to reflect on some insights from an article by sports writer Mike Prada about the Warriors’ adjustments. I will not go into the details of his analysis, but instead would like to highlight the principle or perspective behind the choices made by Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr.
Prada writes: “Kerr figured out which disadvantages matter least. This is as important as understanding which advantages matter most … Every adjustment an NBA team makes has upside and downside. There is no magic wand that solve[s] every problem at once. The key for any coach is to figure out whether the benefit sufficiently outweighs the cost … The Warriors proved that it’s not only about what an adjustment adds. It’s about accepting what it subtracts.”
In life, saying “Yes” to something often means saying “No” to other things. One really needs to exercise discernment in decision-making, realizing that there usually is a trade-off between things that we may consider important or valuable. The issue is, what are we willing to let go in order to take hold of another? Oftentimes trying to hold on to both can lead to confusion, or even the loss of both.
Such is the case in the matter of Christian discipleship. Is following Christ considered truly more valuable than anything else that this world offers or demands from us? Christ’s call is clear: “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9.23–25 NET)
Are you willing to adjust your life—subtracting self and adding Christ—changing your game to go for the eternal win? Or will you continue to play the same game despite its obvious downside? It’s only when we accept what discipleship adjustment subtracts that we will ultimately embrace what it adds.
—Keith Y. Jainga