UNPACK This...Christ-Centered ConfidenceSample

Not Afraid To Lose Of the teams that made a Final Four run in 2023, none was more surprising than ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic. The Owls reached the Final Four by keeping their poise in every contest. Rather than being afraid to blow their opportunity, the Owls avoided the fear of failure, which enabled them to play easy and carefree. Following his team’s win in the Elite Eight, head coach Dusty May said of his players, “They weren’t afraid to lose today and go home. They’re not afraid of failure… There’s never a moment when we get tight because we’re not afraid of what happens if we don’t get it done.” When it comes to the mindset of not being afraid to lose, there’s an important parallel for us as followers of Jesus. Perhaps nothing scares Christians more than sharing our faith with others. We often get nervous because we’re afraid we’re going to “blow it” as we try telling them the Good News. But what if a more biblical mindset about evangelism helped alleviate the pressure of sharing our faith? In 1 Corinthians 3:7, Paul writes about believers “planting” and “watering” seeds in evangelism. He explains, “It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” In other words, only God is capable of making a person respond to the message. When we recognize we’re not the ones who make people become followers of Jesus, it takes the pressure off of us to feel like we might “blow it.” In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” This doesn’t negate our responsibility in sharing the Gospel with others, but it does free us from thinking success is up to us. Today, let’s recognize that God is looking for willing vessels to confidently proclaim the simple Gospel message, trusting that He will draw people to Christ. I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to be bold and confident in sharing the Gospel with those around me. Thank you for taking the pressure off of me in evangelism. As I plant and water seeds, I pray that You would cause them to grow for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen. For more sports and faith devotionals, visit [ unpackinit.com ](http://unpackinit.com) .