“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” — 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NLT)

Stepping back up to the plate

One of the greatest things about baseball is that, more so than other major sports, it can be enjoyed by people of almost any age. Whether it is the toddler hitting with a plastic bat in the backyard or the 70-year-old man somehow still leading his church softball team, baseball makes us all feel young.

Regardless of age, however, there is one element of the game that all players fear: being hit by a pitch. While it may cause brawls in major league ball parks, it can have just as big of an impact on a Little League field.

For a kid who is just learning to hit to take a pitch to the ankle, elbow or head, it can really impact his or her ability to stand at the plate and learn how to become a good hitter. The fear of getting hit again is almost paralyzing. You can see it on their faces, in their stance, and of course by the fact that their feet are in the back corner of the batter’s box. The thought of another pitch coming their way can consume their minds so much that they cannot even begin to focus on the task at hand.

How often does that happen to us in ministry? If we can’t find funding, if our volunteers are not committed, or if we get blindsided by an issue at home, that must mean our current project is not part of God’s plan. Right? Not necessarily.

Jesus promised that we will have trouble. When we are working for the Lord, we should be prepared for it to be anything but easy. Sometimes we have setbacks. We may even get knocked down. But every time that happens, we must be willing to get up, step back up to the plate and refocus on the work that God has set before us.

– Jamie Boggs

If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com