The biblical worldview on freedom, is that God gives us absolute freedom through His Grace. God does not kill us because we commit a sinful act, but He does warn us that sin leads us to death. So even though we have absolute freedom, people can feel restricted by God's Word. However, living in your sin makes you a slave to the devil and restricts you from being who God wants you to be. So in reality, God sets us free from sin, not to sin, so we can live in peace and have much joy. This same principle applies to free speech. We are aloud to say anything, but some words and thoughts can restrict you from what God wants you to be. God does not want you to speak out of offense, because when you are offended by what someone says, it usually means that whatever they said is true about you. I am of Hispanic decent and people can make racist comments of any race. Hispanics can be called lazy, drug addicts, criminals, you name it. If it offends you, you probably have one of these qualities. But if you represent yourself in a classy and respectful matter, these words should not hurt you. If someone calls me lazy, I will prove that I am not lazy by working hard. If someone calls me a criminal, I am not going to get offended and go do criminal things, because then I would be proving them right. When I was in middle school and early high school, I was called soft by my parents and coaches. Instead of getting offended, I went to do something about it. I woke up early mornings and stayed after school to get in the weight room to get physically and mentally tough. Do not be offended, just prove people wrong in silence, then your critics will be silent themselves
We can make the world so small around us. We believe that where we are from, will dictate our level of potential. I grew up in Southern California, and living in New Mexico now, a difference I see is that people do not believe in themselves as much. I had coaches, teachers, and friends that encouraged me that I can make a big splash in my lifetime. I was taught to take one step at a time and realize this is not a sprint, it is marathon. So making a big splash will not happen right away, but it will eventually happen when you surround yourself with people that believe in you. That is what I love about the vision at Legacy Church, they believe in people and they believe in making a difference one step at a time. From the youth pastors to the executive pastors, one common theme that I get from them, is that they believe God is going to do big things through me. A belief in me, is the best motivation for me, I want to work and serve for people that believe in me. As a player, a coach that believed in me motivated me to work hard for him. However, people can believe in me, but if I do not believe in myself, then it does not matter. When my coach tells me to run, I run. When my pastor tells me to serve, I serve. Not once have I ever believed that any of my coaches and pastors were trying to make me a worse person. They challenge me because they believe in me. If they never said a word to me and let me do what I want, that means they have stopped believing in me. All in all, surround yourself with people that believe in you. Also, believe in people around you, because that is the best motivation you can ever give someone
Excuses are one of the worst things that can you make. They will take away opportunities from you and will limit you from reaching your full potential. Find ways to overcome obstacles, instead of finding ways to get out of things. After my concussion in high school, I was told to take a week off, but that did not stop me from going to every practice and team meeting. It did not stop me from going to school. I did not find any excuse to fall behind and have people feel sorry for me. I would get dizzy throughout the day and my head would hurt, but I just told myself to suck it up and focus on the task at hand. I want to show the people I work for, that I am committed to my work. I do not want to be one of those employees that has an excuse for everything. If I am sick, I will go into work, and if I am too sick to work, then my boss will tell me to go home. When my players tell me they are sick and cannot come to practice, I tell them to come to practice and I will decide if they are too sick to practice. If they are too sick to practice, they can go lay down or sit on a chair with a trash can next to them. I teach this principle because I want them to practice their commitment and loyalty. There is honor in someone who will do whatever it takes to do what they are called to do. When I was dripping blood from my head, I still tried to get back in practice, but coach told me to get out. Isaiah Thomas, hall of fame guard for the Detroit Pistons back in the 80's, had a nasty ankle injury during an 1988 NBA Finals game, early in the third quarter. By the swelling of his ankle, no one would have blamed him for sitting out the rest of the game. Not only did he come back in 35 seconds later, he went 11 of 13 from the field and scored 25 points in that quarter alone! He was hobbling up and down the court, basically playing on one leg, but he made no excuses, instead he made history. No one gets remembered for making excuses. No one keeps a steady job by making excuses. What gets you climbing up the ladder, is doing things you are not expected to do. Pastor Tommy Barnett put a phrase in my mind that I do not think will every be removed from my brain..."And then some". When I am working and doing my job, I will put that thought in my mind and realize that my true value, comes from doing more than everybody else. Do not make excuses, make history
Thank you for reading! Please share with friends and family that you think this can bless them!
Chris Perez
ANNOUNCEMENT: I am running a 3 week basketball training camp from July 5th-July 22nd at Legacy East Campus Gym. If you, or anybody you know is interested, please visit legacybballabq.com for registration and more information!
