When I was 14 or 15, I remember playing teachers quorum basketball and having a particularly bad game.
That Saturday morning, everything was happening in slow motion for me.
Our regular coach wasn’t at the game. Instead, a quorum adviser was there. Sports didn’t seem to appeal to him. So I didn’t expect much from him until he called a timeout after what felt like my hundredth turnover in the first few minutes of the game.
He hopped off the stage that served as the bench on the side of the basketball court. He walked right over to me and asked calmly if I knew what was going on. I gave a poor explanation, and he listened. When I stammered through my frustrated thoughts, he pointed to the spot on the court where I had turned over the ball. He asked me what I did in the second immediately following the steal. I told him I didn’t remember.
He then acted out what he had seen me do. He told me I did the same thing every time I made a mistake in that game.
He acted out the ball being taken, and then he held out both of his hands and shook his head in mocking disbelief. He quickly turned in the direction of the opposing basket and put his hands on his hips while imaginarily watching the other team make a layup.
I laughed at his mirror of my actions.
He laughed and told me it looked even funnier when I did it.
Then he said something that has mattered to me ever since — both on the court and in other aspects of life.
“You react so much, and you react so emphatically, that you forget to act,” he said.
He told me the ball would probably get stolen from me again. But he told me that the next time it happened, I had one second to catch up with the opponent who stole the ball and get it back.
He taught me to act instead of react.
I won’t say that game completely turned around or that we won. It took a while for me to break some bad, reactionary habits.
The same thing can happen with us as we act and react to the challenges we have in life.
Gossip? Reactionary.
Hurtful memes or text messages? Reactionary.
Many hand gestures? Reactionary.
Swearing? Reactionary.
Road rage? Reactionary.
Conversely, acting requires intent. It requires me to choose what I want to happen and to strive to make that happen.
As Jesus went about His mortal ministry, He frequently taught the value of acting in a way that helped individuals move forward.
In Matthew 5:44, the Savior said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
He doesn’t appear to leave room to curse back and then love. He didn’t invite doing good while still holding a grudge. Love. Do good. Pray. None of these are reactions. They are separate and intentional actions.
When He was being crucified, Jesus asked the Father to forgive the soldiers, not to retaliate.
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” He said in Luke 23:34.
Still, Jesus submitted to mortal death on the cross.
As had been prophesied and made clear as part of the plan of salvation, the Savior did not stay dead.
He arose with a resurrected body. He would not be defeated.
After the Resurrection, He did not go to those who were responsible for His death to seek retribution. He went to His disciples to continue teaching. He went to others around the earth to teach them. While in the Americas, He continued to teach love over anger and animosity.
“This is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another,” He said in 3 Nephi 11:30. “But this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.”
One chapter later, in 3 Nephi 12:20, the Savior says, “Come unto me and be ye saved.”
As we commemorate the Savior’s love for all of Heavenly Father’s children at this Easter season, may we remember that invitation and receive an eternal victory only God can give.
— Jon Ryan Jensen is editor of the Church News.
