Opening Day

Today was opening day for many baseball teams. Crystal and I lived in the Cincinnati area for about six years and the excitement of opening day was contagious. I think there are a lot of lessons we can learn from baseball (I am not a huge baseball fan, but thinking a lot about it tonight for some reason).

1. Team work is vital. This is true in baseball, life, and the church. The game cannot be won by one individual, rather it takes a team effort. In the church we know that we need the gifts, talents, and energy of many for the Body of Christ to function correctly. If the attitude is wrong it will not work.

2. We will strike out from time to time. To bat over .300 is a good year, much better than that is great. In the church we know that we will fall down from time to time, but we also know that God does not give up on us. We also know we have our team (fellow believers) to lift us up and urge us on.

3. You can't hit the ball if you don't swing. If we never take a chance for the Lord we will never accomplish anything either.

4. There are rules that have to be followed. Without rules the game is not safe or fun. In the church we need the Lord to set the standards so that we can enjoy life to the fullest.

5. Leadership is essential. Without a good manager and leaders on the team it will not work. In the church we need leaders that the lead by the Holy Spirit, humble, and bold for the Lord.

6. Errors will be made. Even the best will sometimes miss the ball or throw it over the first baseman’s head. That does not mean that they are not good players, but that they made an error. In the church we will make mistakes, but that does not mean we give up on people, rather we will seek to help them.

7. Practice and hard work is crucial. Even great players have to keep going back to the basics to stay on their game. Also, even the best must work out to stay in shape to stay the best. In the church we have to always go back to the essentials of the Gospel (Love God, Love people) and give God our best.

8. Emotions have to be kept under control. A high spirit manager or player is not a bad thing, but if it keeps them from preforming or gets them tossed it is no good. In the church we need to be passionate about what we believe, but be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

9. You have to learn to deal with pressure. Any great player deals with pressure constantly. In the church we must realize that our authority comes from the Word, our passion comes from the Spirit, and our ability to cope comes from the truth that God is at hand.

10. You have to work with people that are not like you. On any given team there is a variety of different personalities, backgrounds, and likes. However, if they have the right attitude and a common goal it can work. The same can be said of the church. While we may not look alike, sound alike, like the same music, drive the same cars, or be from the same places as long as we have the attitude of Christ and the goal of discipleship good things are going to happen.

11. Never give up. A game is not over until 27 outs out been recorded for your team. A rally can happen and the game can still be won. In the church we know we win in the end, God wins and we are with God. In the meantime we do not give up even when we are tired, discouraged, and want to hang it up.

12. In any season there will be ups and downs. There will be winning streaks and losing streaks. There will be times with hits and draughts at the plate as well. In our spiritual lives the same can be said, we are in for the long haul. While we may be in a slump right now that is not the end of the story, praise God.

I could go on, but I think I should stop for now. One last thing, Character counts. If you cheat you will bring dishonor to you, your team, and the sport. In the church character maters more than we realize. Strive to be more and more like Jesus and love with abandonment and all will be well. Here are the last two days Bible readings:

      March 31, 2013            Deut 29:1–31:8, Luke 4:31–44, Ps 40:5–9, Prov 8:21–23

      April 01, 2013            Deut 31:9–32:52, Luke 5:1–26, Ps 40:10–17, Prov 8:24–26