Butt Down, Glove Down, Hand Ready

Good morning!

As I write this I am still overjoyed at the fact that my son and his baseball team, which I coach, ended their 6 game losing streak and won last night! I am still celebrating because the team finally put everything together to have a complete win. All year I have been preaching fundamentals and the importance of fundamentals in practice and in the game. There were times I became frustrated because I didn't think they were listening to a thing I said.

A couple of practices ago, I decided to change my approach to coaching (by the way this is my first time to ever coach baseball). I went into practice with the goal of making sure that when each player left, they were tired and worn out from working hard, while at the same time they were better at their skills than when they came into practice. It seems to be paying off! Not because of me, but because the boys have responded to it and put in the hard work.

One of the fundamental skills that was getting us in trouble in the games was fielding ground balls. No matter how many times we went through it and no matter how many times I talked about it, they couldn't remember the three rules: butt down, glove down, hand ready. At our last practice we did a drill they won't forget and we finally saw fruits of it last night. These young boys learned a life lesson - hard work pays off and the pain is worth the reward!

I liken this to our faith, too. It can be easy for us to forget about our fundamentals. The preacher (aka coach) gets up every Sunday to remind us, but it either goes in one ear and out the other, or it rattles around with all of the other advice we've been getting from people, books, magazine articles, and tv personalities. We get so bogged down with daily living that we forget to be living daily for Christ. It's not enough for someone to keep preaching it to us or reading it on a blog somewhere...there comes a time when we have to do it! When we pay attention to live out the fundamentals of our faith, we are able to see fruits from the practice of our faith (James 2).

Keeping with the baseball analogy:

Butt Down: Stay grounded in the Word of God. Get involved in a Bible study or a LIFE group (small group) that is Scripturally focused. Take part in daily devotions that open up God's Word for your life. Worship regularly and fellowship often with other Christians.

Glove Down: Make sure your heart is in the right place to receive God's love into your own life that you may continue to grow in His love and grace. Work toward living a life of prayer as everything you say, do, and think is like an ongoing conversation with God. You cannot give love that you haven't fully received.

Hand Ready: Make sure that your spirit is ready to take hold of the love and grace you have received, so that you can gracefully share it with others as your life delivers the truth of the faith you embrace.

The last part that I didn't mention that is a given in baseball, but it bears repeating...keep your eye on the ball. In other words, stay focused on Christ (Matthew 6:33). If you don't, you'll miss whatever He is trying to send your way.

All of this takes hard work. It takes practice. But as I tell my players, we practice how we play. When we step into the game of life everyday, we can experience victory because we have committed ourselves to living the faith and we don't forget those three simple rules: butt down, glove down, hand ready.

Precious Lord, I have forgotten the fundamentals of my faith. I have forgotten to stay grounded in You. I have failed to be ready to receive Your love for me and Your word for my life. I have failed to deliver Your love in a way that honors You. Forgive me. In the midst of my own errors in life, You still give me new opportunities and You have not given up on me. Thank You Lord! Give me strength to practice what I preach. Give me courage to live my life for You. Help me to see the fruits of my labor as You work through me in the game of life. Remind me daily to not forget the fundamentals of my faith and give me a heart to see the victory that comes through You. In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen.