TUESDAY

1 Corinthians 15:56-57

• How might knowing there’s victory in Jesus change the way you live?

I was playing basketball with my husband, our daughter, and our neighbor’s son, Cameron. Cameron and my daughter, eternally dueling ten-year-olds, were dribbling all over the court, shooting boldly from comically outside of their range. We kept score the way you’d imagine keeping score when half your team is composed of ten-year-olds: loosely.

The competition ended when lemonade sounded more interesting than finishing the game. As we were sipping from mason jars filled with our saccharine prize, Cameron began reflecting on the match.

“Mrs. Hoffman,” he started, his eyebrows knit together soberly. “Who do you think was the MVP of that game?”

I exchanged a glance with my husband, my lips retreating into my mouth to keep from laughing. I cleared my throat and shook my head, pondering his question intently. “Hm… that’s a tough one.”

My husband rescued me: “It’s a close call, Cam,” he said. “But I think if I had to give it to someone…it would have to be you. You had that buzzer beater about halfway through. Plus, your dribbling has definitely improved—”

“Yeah…” Cameron kicked his feet up on the porch railing and leaned back like a king reclining for a kingdom-wide feast. “That’s what I thought too.”

Cameron taught me a valuable lesson that day. No, he wasn’t LeBron James, and I don’t anticipate that he’ll be drafted into the NBA anytime soon. But what Cam did have without any question? Confidence.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul’s letter tells us that we’re victorious through Christ. The question is, how does that knowledge affect our daily behavior? The Bible calls us to live with a spirit of boldness— of confidence—because we know that we have victory through Jesus. So live today with the confidence of Cam.