CLINT PERCEFULL, Children's Minister
I really dislike baseball…actually “dislike” is not a strong enough word…I loathe baseball. I have never understood the fascination of watching people hit a ball with a stick and run in a circle, while other people wait patiently for a ball to come to them so they can immediately hurry up and throw it back. However, someone once posed a very thought-provoking question using this sport (which takes 164 games to determine who makes the playoffs by the way…164!!!)
Let's go ahead and assume that for some reason you have decided to play a game of baseball. It is the bottom of the 9th and there are 2 outs. It is a tie game, bases loaded, and it is your turn at the plate. You step up to the plate without a bat. The question is can you win the game for your team? My answer was an emphatic “no”, however the person posing the question immediately informed me that I was wrong, the answer is actually “yes”!
There are actually 3 scenarios where you can get on base and win the game for your team. The opposing pitcher walks you, hits you with the ball, or the catcher drops the 3rd strike. Notice that in all 3 of these situations, your fate as well as that of your entire team, is 100% in the hands of those who oppose you. You are completely at their mercy.
We can live our lives without knowing Christ or following His commands. We can even succeed in our personal endeavors or at work. However, when it comes to our spiritual lives we must be prepared. 1 Peter 1:13 tells us “Therefore, prepare your minds for action”. If you step up to the plate with no bat, you have no action, there is nothing you can do at all.
However, as followers of Christ we have a tool for action, one that will not fail. Christ has promised us that He will never leave us, that He will go before us, that He has a plan for us. Do not allow your fate to be in the hands of those that oppose you.
To take this analogy a step further, the coach of this team would not allow any of his players to approach the plate without a bat. As parents, coworkers, friends, aunts, uncles, neighbors, etc, we should do our best to equip others.
- Clint
Fun board game you probably haven’t heard of:
Pass the Pigs