Monday, March 7, 2011

PLAY BALL!!!


We are approximately one month from the Atlanta Brave’s 2011 baseball season. Being from Huntsville, Alabama, all of my family, with the exception of our son-in-law, is Roll Tide fans, however, baseball is the sport of our choice. Our daughter played softball from a very young age all the way through high school and our son played baseball for twelve years so many, many springs were spent at the ball complex.
It is awesome to watch a winning team and how they all work together. No ONE person can carry the load of the entire team; it takes everyone working together. All positions are very important. It does not make any difference how good the pitcher is if he does not have a great catcher, infield and outfield. A great pitcher alone is just a great pitcher, but to be a WINNING TEAM, it takes
ALL POSITIONS.

In little league baseball, it amazes me at the end of the season when the all-star team is chosen from opposing teams. This new team of all-stars, while during the regular baseball season played against each other, now put their differences aside, and joins together as a new team.

How awesome!!! In church, shouldn't we all be team players working together?

One of the problems in churches today is we sometimes fail to work together as a TEAM. Many times we find ourselves on committees with folks that are not necessarily our friends; sometimes we do not even really know them; and sometimes we may not particularly personally LIKE them……….BUT….we have to learn to put our differences aside and work together. No one position in the church is anymore important than another one; it takes everyone working together. Every team member is important.

In churches, many times a few “gifted” folks seem to carry the entire load. This is not scriptural. You may not be the “pitcher” but you are just as important and the team needs you to be a winner. God gives an example of the importance of team-work in the first chapter of Mark. Jesus chose a small “team” of twelve “common men” as disciples to train and help him carry out the work that God had sent him to do. Jesus was perfect; he could do all things and could have easily carried out all of the work single-handed, however, he chose the twelve men to show the importance of teamwork.

In the beginning, the team of disciples were hardly a winning strong team, but with guidance, hard work and training, all of them with the exception of Judas, grew together to establish a winning team. The Atlanta Braves, or any other team, will not become a winning team without guidance, hard work and training.

Team players are very important whether at home, at church or in our secular world. But, all teams have to train, practice and work together to become a winning team. It does not just happen without a lot of hard work.

In all areas of our lives, let’s strive to be good team-players. I promise the rewards will be worth all of the hard work.

Okay ladies, Let’s Play Ball!!!

No comments: