“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Call Up the Spirit
When a player gets selected in the MLB Draft, their journey starts in the minors. A handful have skipped the minors, but most everyone has to go develop their skills. Time spent in the minors depends on the player’s talent and ability to improve. Unfortunately, the vast majority of players never make it to the majors.
As followers of Jesus, we believe and hold onto the great mystery of the Trinity: one God, three Persons, equal in nature and worthy of praise. If we honestly look into our lives as we try and live out the Gospel, we struggle at times because we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us daily.
When we try to do things in our own strength, we get frustrated and fail. This striving is like having the Spirit in the minors of your life. Trying to do everything on our own power implies that the Spirit is lacking in a certain area, and we can do it better.
So what do we do? If we want the Spirit to fill us daily, we need to empty ourselves and admit our weaknesses. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Don’t let the Spirit dwindle in the minors of your life — call Him up! Allow the Spirit to fill you daily, so that you will not become overwhelmed by life’s circumstances.
— Eddie Taubensee, former MLB catcher
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
“Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’” — Psalm 92:13-15
“Bloom where you’re planted” is a phrase I have been hearing a lot lately. It’s a word of encouragement to inspire someone to make the best of their opportunities and prosper no matter the environment or circumstances.
Like many sayings, it’s Biblical. Psalm 92:13-15 (above) reminds us that when we are “planted in the house of the Lord, we will flourish in the courts of God.” In other words, the Lord calls us to have a foundation in the Gospel, so that our roots may grow in good soil and produce fruit that honors God.
For athletes, this could look like several different things. It could be proactively seeking guidance from coaches or mentors. Perhaps things aren’t going how you planned and it’s adjusting to a new team, situation or role. Maybe it’s seeking an additional way to contribute or developing your skillset.
Following Christ does not mean immediate success. But it’s important to understand that when things shift from your plan, they could still be right on track with God’s. As athletes, when you are rooted in the Gospel, your development and resiliency despite the circumstances are testimonies of Christ and your faith in His design.
A plant’s growth is determined by how strong its roots are and the nutrients in the soil. Take confidence in knowing you have the ultimate life source in Christ fueling you along the way.
Wherever you are in your athletic journey — whether that’s working to improve your skill level, time standard or team — you are exactly where the Lord intended you to be according to His perfect timing, and you should act as such. It is not what you do or where you are, but how you do it and whom you are doing it for.
In athletics, success often takes time and hard work, and can look a variety of different ways. But when you follow Jesus, you should take comfort in knowing that whatever situation you are in, if your foundation is in the Lord, you will bloom.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
It’s been a whirlwind couple of seasons, but outfielder Austin Hays is finding solid footing once again — this time with the Cincinnati Reds. After missing the first 16 games due to a calf strain, he’s provided a jolt to the Reds offense, hitting .361 with three home runs, nine runs batted in and a stolen base over nine games.
In his debut with the team on April 15, he went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, including a three-run home run against former Reds pitcher Luis Castillo during a four-run fifth inning that propelled Cincinnati to an 8-4 come-from-behind win.
Hays picked up where he left off in spring training, where he finished with a .310 batting average to go along with three home runs and a team-leading 14 RBIs over 16 games.
“It doesn’t always work that quickly when a guy comes back, but I think we just missed him,” Reds manager Terry Francona said following Hays’ debut.
Hays was the only player the Reds added via free agency this past offseason when he signed a one-year contract for $5 million. He not only provides an extra source of power and production in the lineup, but at 29 years old and in his eighth season as a big leaguer, he provides a steady veteran presence for a young, energetic roster hungry to make it back to the postseason.
But Hays’ journey to Cincinnati has been anything but linear.
In 2023, he was named to the American League All-Star team as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, ultimately slashing .275/.325/.444 with 16 home runs and 67 runs batted in. He not only brought consistent offense but shined defensively as well, recording six defensive runs saved in left field — good for fourth among all AL outfielders.
But the Orioles dealt Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2024 trade deadline, aiming to bolster their roster with pitching. Hays, meanwhile, was brought in to help the Phillies counter left-handed pitching, and he delivered when healthy — batting .328 with an .894 OPS against southpaws.
Yet a tough stretch of injuries, including a hamstring strain and what he described as a “mysterious” kidney infection, limited him to just 22 games in Philadelphia, where he hit .256 with two home runs and six RBIs. Members of the Phillies organization praised him for battling through the infection.
Through the ups and downs of baseball, Hays has said his peace comes from his faith in God, which really started to blossom when he and his wife, Samantha, became Christians in 2020.
“During the 2020 season, we were here at our home and just felt like something was missing,” he said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in March 2024. “We had just completed the first full season in the big leagues, felt like we were finally established, have everything you could want materialistically, and we just didn’t feel whole.”
They attended a Pro Athletes Outreach event in 2020, heard the Gospel and were saved.
“Couldn’t really describe what that feeling was like and the connection Sam and I had together,” he said. “We were looking at each other and asking, ‘Is this real? Are we both feeling this right now?’ We finished the three days there and just really felt like we were completed and we were whole and we had accepted Jesus into our lives.”
Wanting to make sure they weren’t just riding the high of the event, they got plugged in with a church near their home in Florida and continued to grow in their faith. Eventually, he and Samantha were baptized together.
“It’s been a great three years since that day,” he said in 2024. “We’ve grown a lot in our faith and continue to grow every day.”
Now, Hays hopes his play on the field can reflect the peace he’s found through a relationship with God.
“I can take everything that comes with baseball, I can take it to God,” he said. “I don’t have to do it myself. I don’t have to manage it myself and feel like I have to be in control of everything because, ultimately, baseball is a very difficult sport.”
“I can take everything that comes with baseball, I can take it to God.”
He noted how much failure is a part of the game of baseball, even for the best players. A career .263 hitter, he fails nearly 75% of the time, which would be unacceptable in most lines of work. But with baseball, it’s all about perspective.
“With that much failure, I can’t go at it alone,” he said on the podcast. “I can’t go at it by myself. You’re not equipped to do that as an individual. To be able to take it all to Christ and say, ‘I don’t want to do this alone and I don’t want to have to go about it by myself. I want to glorify You in everything that I do on the field.’
“Whether I play good or play bad, I’m alive in Christ and my identity is known from within. It’s known in front of the Lord that I’m living my life the way I was intended to no matter how my game is going on the field that day.”
Hays and the Reds (12-13) are off Thursday before starting a three-game series in Colorado on Friday.
Skip Schumaker in December 2023. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Skip Schumaker is a former MLB player who spent eight years with the St. Louis Cardinals (2005-12, helping them win the 2011 World Series), one season with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013), and his final two years with the Cincinnati Reds (2014-15). He later got into coaching and became the manager for the Miami Marlins in 2023, winning NL Manager of the Year honors that year, before stepping away from the role after the 2024 season.
Skip joins the show today to discuss his journey through baseball, including defining moments in his career, the importance of leadership and communication, and the impact of faith on his coaching style. He shares insights on transitioning positions, the significance of servant leadership, and how he finds purpose after retirement. The conversation highlights the importance of relationships in baseball and life, and the impact of giving back to the community.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams at the 2024 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”— Ephesians 4:11-12
I love the NFL Draft. It’s a moment when hopeful young athletes hear their names called, marking the beginning of their professional careers in football. Teams select players with the goal of building a stronger, more dynamic roster that will help them achieve success on the field.
As a Chicago Bears fan, I’ve been especially interested in the draft as the organization looks to rebuild and return to winning. The draft is a time of opportunity, excitement and expectation for both the organization and its fans. There’s hope that these newly minted members of the team will embark on successful careers that will lead your team to glory.
But as Christians, we can also look at the NFL Draft and draw a powerful parallel to how God equips and calls His people for His Kingdom.
In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul writes about the gifts that Christ has given to His Church. Just as NFL teams draft players with specific skills to help their team succeed, God has uniquely gifted each of us with talents, abilities and spiritual gifts to contribute to His Kingdom. No two players are alike, and no two people are alike in God’s eyes. Each of us has been chosen by God for a purpose, and He has equipped us to play a part in the body of Christ.
Just as teams carefully scout and select players who fit their needs, God knows exactly where He wants to place each one of us. He doesn’t make mistakes in His selections. Whether you’re a teacher, a nurse, a leader, a servant or a behind-the-scenes worker, your role in the Kingdom is just as important as the next. God calls each of us to serve in different ways, but all are necessary to build up the Church.
As we watch the NFL Draft, let it remind us of God’s deliberate and thoughtful calling on each of our lives. Some players will be called to the spotlight, while others will be called to work quietly but faithfully behind the scenes. The same is true in the body of Christ. There is no insignificant role in God’s Kingdom. Every believer is called to serve, whether in leadership, teaching or simple acts of kindness.
