Stay in the game

In High School I didn’t belong to any specific group but tried to be a part of them all. In a way, up until about a year or two ago…I hadn’t changed. I wanted to be part of the group but always felt like I didn’t belong. Kind of like a baseball player that’s good enough to make the team but only as a backup… a benchwarmer. A player that wanted to play the game but because of fear or lack of self-confidence would never be good enough to be a starter.

Most baseball games are lost by lack of genuine effort. Many things in life are lost just because we don’t do anything about them. Doing nothing will accomplish nothing. (Thanks Marty). As men and woman of God, we don’t only need to stay in the game but we need to be an active part of it. We need to play ball!

We need to decide, are we going to be a benchwarmer or are we going to get into the game? Are we going to be a Softball Christian or a Hard Hitting, Home Running Christian? We have sat on the bench for far too long, we have only been a spectator and have not been a key player. The game of baseball has many terms that I believe can inspire us to be “In the Game”!

In Baseball there is a term called, ‘Keeping them off the board’:  Simply, if the other team doesn’t score, it makes it very hard for them to win! As Christians, we need to keep the Devil, ‘Off the board’.  This isn’t an easy thing to accomplish as I have failed often at this. Every time I feel guilty because of how I acted in certain situations, I allowed the enemy to score. Every time I doubted my calling as a Son of God, I allowed the enemy to score. Every time I allow my flesh to take control and I lose my Christian bearing, I allow the enemy to score.

Ephesians 4:26-27 in your anger do not sin, Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

We all have bad days in life. God offers us forgiveness and a brand new start.

In the game of baseball, “Keeping the hitter honest” mean throwing a pitch to keep the batter from leaning over the plate (making the ball come real close like) and keep him from getting a pitch on the outer part of the plate. As Christians, we need to hold one another accountable in our Christian walk. We need to throw close pitches at each other to keep us accountable. These near misses wake us up to do what God’s will say for us.

We also need to, “Keep the line moving”. In baseball, this is a reference to a series of batters getting on base safely and advancing runners on base, like an assembly line. As Christians, we need to keep a steady line moving to Christ through example and speaking the word in truth to others. If you are not doing you part, if you’re not swinging, if you’re not stepping up to the plate; you’re doing no one any good.

As Christians, we need to realize that sitting on the bench and being a spectator may be entertaining and comfortable but we have a coach and He is calling each of us into the game. His desire is that we step up to the plate and keep the line moving. If we aren’t in the game, then what good are we? If no one is trying, if no one is swinging, then no one moves forward.

In baseball practices are a must. Hours and hours are spent in the batting cages. Baseball player realize the importance of hitting a good ball. They know that it takes practice in order to achieve the goal of making it home helping their team mates get there as well. We need to stay in shape; we need to practice and stay sharp in order to hit those home runs. Training is vitally important for each of us in order to do His will.

 What is the Christians goal? Is our goal simply to make it home at the end of this game? Or is it to not only to make it home but help get as many as we can home as well?

I went home on Vacation one time from the Navy. As I passed the old neighborhood I saw some kids playing touch football in the local field. I stopped and walked over to watch. One of the kids saw me and asked if I wanted to play. They needed another to even out the sides. I hadn’t played football in a while but I quickly agreed.

On one play, they threw a pass to me and I dove to catch it. I caught the ball but landed wrong and ended up breaking a finger and spraining my wrist. Game over!

This is what happens to us as well, you see, when we go so long without practice, without showing up to church, without spending time in God’s word, we lose our edge and become ineffective as players, ineffective serving God.

As Christians….we need to keep in the game!