Baseball season ended this past Wednesday with the Giants beating the Royals in seven games. I love baseball. In addition to loving the game, I see a number of analogies to life itself.

I know lots of people see and even teach life lessons from many different sports: teamwork, and perseverance, for example. But for me, there are some really good analogies from the game of baseball, and perhaps the best one is starting over.

When you come up to the plate to bat in a baseball game, there are only two outcomes; you either end up safe or you end up out. You can hit the ball safely, or hit the ball and end up out. You can get safely to first base on four pitches that are not strikes, or the worst is getting three strikes, and you’re out!

In life we have good days and sometimes not so good days. But regardless of how our day is going, the promises of God are brand new each and every day. When we wake up, the past is the past; it’s a brand new day.

In a baseball game, you may strike out in the first inning, but there you are up to bat again in the third or fourth inning. All the previous strikes from the first inning are gone. You have a clean slate; you start new again.

At your second attempt in a game, you may end up not hitting safely or even striking out. But there you are, later in the game, up to the plate to bat once again. And each time you begin again with a clean slate.

Baseball players at times find themselves in a slump. Their batting average and their on base percentage goes way down. But even in a slump, each time they come to the plate, none of their previous at bats are held against them; once again, it’s a fresh start.

Are You In A Slump?

In life, we too may strike out, or at times find ourselves in a slump. But regardless, the promises of God do not change. The Bible tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. We can also read, with great encouragement, that because of Christ’s completed work, we have forgiveness.

Every baseball player in a slump knows when he’s up at the plate, he cannot afford to dwell on past miscues. All those haunting strikeouts, while true to fact, must be mentally put aside; they are in the past. On a video podcast I mention talking to Arizona Diamondbacks’ Matt Williams about being in a slump.

We too must deal with our minds, by accepting God’s love and forgiveness, forgetting those things that are behind.

I like to think of it as each morning is another time at bat; yesterday is over and I cannot live tomorrow. I will accept God’s love and forgiveness, forget the past, and do my best today. And at the end of the day, whether I’ve hit safely, or have been called “out,” well, it is simply the end of the day. Tomorrow morning I will be up to bat again, and try to do my best.

(By the way, baseball season may be over, but football season is in high gear.)

Mike Verdicchio
2014

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