When Jesus walked the earth, He used everyday situations to bring forth kingdom realities. He walked with those young men and the crowds that followed Him, sharing parables about the kingdom. He spoke of sheep and shepherds, images on coins and seeds found in soils. They knew what He meant by what He said, for they lived in the culture in which He was speaking.

The realities of the kingdom do not change, but the way we describe the kingdom may come in a variety of cultural explanations that people who understand the culture can understand.

Pickleball has become a fast rising sport in this nation. People of all ages, shapes and sizes play the sport. From little kids to older adults, both men and women, all are playing pickleball. I too have found my way into this sport and love it immensely.

While playing yesterday morning, a woman on our Friday morning team said to me, “Your patience is obvious and you play as though it is effortless.” I said, thank you, but walked away realizing, the reason this is true is because I quit striving to be better and I quit criticizing myself for every mistake.

You see, I watched some women who were better than me play and I noticed they do not get upset when a play does not work as they intended. They brush it off and engage in the next play. The adoption of this simple tweek, changed my game so much that my friend noticed it.

Friends, when we are critical of ourselves and when we strive, it is rooted in anxiety and fear, both of which rob us of being the best version of ourselves. When we learn from the last play and tweek it for the next one, we will find ourselves enjoying life, loving people and walking the pace of grace in every area of life. Relax, it will make you play better and others will notice the difference in you. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org