Play Ball

I hope you don’t mind today, but I want to talk about baseball. As you know by now, Rhonda and I enjoy watching College Baseball and rooting for our beloved LSU Tigers. We streamed every game of our favorite team this year which ended this past Sunday afternoon. If you were sitting in our den in recent months on certain nights of the week, you would have heard often the words, “Go Tigers!” We both love to cheer for our team, but I must say that Rhonda excels in this! Watching my wife watch Tiger Baseball is often times more entertaining than the game itself. Suffice to say, she is an enthusiastic fan. And, yes, I have to be the calming influence in this domestic sporting venue. (By the way, I surely hope she does not read this eHomily).

Admittedly, not everyone shares our enthusiasm over baseball nor our loyalty to this team. It gets lonely in Florida rooting for the Tigers. But that’s okay, we all have our favorite team. In fact, sometimes we root for the team of Florida friends if, of course, they are not playing the Tigers! Sorry, you have to draw the line somewhere…

Anyway, the thing about these college players is that they practice for years (most of their life) to be good for the few years of College Baseball. All of those years of practice has to end up on the playing field. During these college years, they must perform well to have a shot at a championship and a chance to play Major League Baseball. They have to put on the field in these games what they have learned in practice over the years.

I heard the story of one baseball player who never made any errors. The only problem was that he would never put down his cold drink and hot dog and come out on the field to play.

I fear that is the case with many in their Christian lives. They talk about their faith, but never put it into practice. They never perform on the field of real life the faith they claim to have in their hearts. Remember this: It’s not what you say, but how you play! We will never be champions for God unless we choose to put into practice our faith in the real game of life.

The Bible says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). From our sermon this past Sunday, you will recall that when Jonah finally learned his lesson and “the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time…Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh (Jonah 3:1, 3). This time Jonah heard the word of the Lord with a view to obey the Lord. As has been said, “Hearing is not complete until it gets to our feet!”

As it concerns your faith, it’s time to play ball…

Devotedly yours,
Pastor Ron