Home Run!!

Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Ephesians 6:10

Baseball season is over, and for the first time since 1995, the Atlanta Braves are the World Series champs! There was such excitement everywhere around town from the playoff games to the culmination of a victory on the sixth night of the World Series!

The parade and ensuing celebration were so well done, and it was mostly inspiring to see and hear the players like Freeman, Swanson, Soler, Morton, and others speak so positively of their organization and each other.

We can remember fondly some of the greats who were playing the game when we were young. Names of players like Mickey Mantle, Roger Marris, Whitey Ford, and so many others. Although times were different, the game of baseball remains the same. There are still runs, hits, and errors. There are still enthusiastic fans. There are still base hits and home runs. The game still has heroes, but it also has dependable, consistent players.

One of the best things about this game to me is that even the best players fail more often than they succeed. For example, if great hitters have a batting average of .300, that means they only get a hit 3 out of 10 times at bat! That’s a sobering thought. A home run is more common these days than it used to be, but on average, a player only hits 45 home runs for every 600 times at bat!

A home run is defined as a fair hit that allows the batter to make a complete circuit of the bases without stopping and score a run. Although home runs can be exciting, it is often the consistent hits, pitching and fielding that wins a game.

Players aren’t always consistent. Most of the players will admit that there are times when they hit a slump! Their game is off, so to speak, and in order to get better, they can’t quit, but rather practice harder. In essence, they go back to the fundamentals which got them where they are in their game. They take extra batting practice, work on keeping their eye on the ball, and get advice from coaches. They figure out their mistakes and correct them to get back in the game.

Sometimes we as Christians find ourselves in a spiritual slump. We realize that we are spiritually empty, sometimes through our neglect of God and His word, and sometimes because of circumstances. In these cases, what do we do?

Hopefully, we begin to get ourselves back in the game by remembering what is right and trying to do it, reading the Bible and praying more, doing more for others, seeking guidance, and asking forgiveness. This usually brings us out of our slump for a while.

Christians and athletes alike can come out of slumps, but if we aren’t diligent, we slip right back into the same trap time after time. As our slumps become more and more frequent, we tend to get discouraged. Christians can feel like we are the worst people ever, and we will never be the person God intended us to be.

Mickey Mantle was famous. The crowd loved him. He was rich, but he still felt empty inside so he turned to alcohol. He suffered from this addiction, which led to heartbreaking problems with his family. Mantle often remarked that “something was missing” in his life. During his recovery from alcoholism, Bobby Richardson led him to Christ. On his deathbed, Mantle said, “I am trusting in Christ’s death for me to take me to heaven.” Of all his home runs, becoming a Christian was his greatest!

Paul slipped in his walk with Christ as well. He told the church in Rome that “he knew what he ought to do, but many times he found himself not doing it. He also said he knew what he shouldn’t do, but he kept doing it!” (Romans 7:19-20)

God blessed us with His grace because He knew we wouldn’t be perfect. He knew we would fail and fall short of God’s perfection. That’s why Jesus came to do what we can’t do. He always gets a hit. He never makes an out. Jesus always bats 1000.

Just like in baseball when a hitter is struggling and the coach puts in a pinch hitter to bat in their place, so God sent Christ to substitute for us when we are struggling. Christ pinch hits for us all, and guess what? He hits a home run every time!