Thursday, July 14, 2016
Watching baseball and thinking about Jesus
I have gotten to spend a lot of time watching grandsons play baseball this summer. Andrew in Dallas playing on a select team and Jake playing on the Wylie All-Stars. Here is what I learned about following Jesus from watching baseball.
You are never good enough. The best players strike out, misplay balls, and have off games. I am never going to be good enough spiritually either.
It takes all of us. You better have some players who can throw it, hit it, and pick it. The body of Christ has lots of members with different talents. We need each other.
Cheer loud. Celebrate the victories. Cheer for the big hits and the great plays. We must be a church full of encouragers.
Pick each other up when you fail. Piling on when someone is down is a sure way to keep them from getting up again. Satan loves it when Christians gossip, turn their back on, and refuse to help each other when one of us falls.
Good teams do not blame each other. Good churches don't either.
Community is great. At the ball field and at church.
Good teams require lots of time, money, and energy from coaches, parents, and players. Good churches have lots of members investing time, money, and energy.
Players get better with practice. Spiritual disciplines develop with practice.
Baseball is fun. Jesus is better.
It is OK to be proud. Andrew hits well and plays a great center field. His team finished third in the end of year World Series. Jake hit well and really pitched well. They advanced to Sectionals and finished third there.
And it is OK to be proud of your church family. Not because of how good they are but because they are letting God do amazing things thru them.
Athletic talent plus hard work makes good ballplayers. God's gifts used by dedicated Christians makes for Kingdom growers.
Thanks God for the joy of watching those boys play ball. And thanks for letting it remind me of things about your Kingdom.
You are never good enough. The best players strike out, misplay balls, and have off games. I am never going to be good enough spiritually either.
It takes all of us. You better have some players who can throw it, hit it, and pick it. The body of Christ has lots of members with different talents. We need each other.
Cheer loud. Celebrate the victories. Cheer for the big hits and the great plays. We must be a church full of encouragers.
Pick each other up when you fail. Piling on when someone is down is a sure way to keep them from getting up again. Satan loves it when Christians gossip, turn their back on, and refuse to help each other when one of us falls.
Good teams do not blame each other. Good churches don't either.
Community is great. At the ball field and at church.
Good teams require lots of time, money, and energy from coaches, parents, and players. Good churches have lots of members investing time, money, and energy.
Players get better with practice. Spiritual disciplines develop with practice.
Baseball is fun. Jesus is better.
It is OK to be proud. Andrew hits well and plays a great center field. His team finished third in the end of year World Series. Jake hit well and really pitched well. They advanced to Sectionals and finished third there.
And it is OK to be proud of your church family. Not because of how good they are but because they are letting God do amazing things thru them.
Athletic talent plus hard work makes good ballplayers. God's gifts used by dedicated Christians makes for Kingdom growers.
Thanks God for the joy of watching those boys play ball. And thanks for letting it remind me of things about your Kingdom.
