Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God...”
Get it, in the big-inning? Inning? Baseball? I believe God is a baseball fan! Just kidding with you, because I'm a big baseball fan. Spring training is a tradition that baseball teams and fans look forward to every year. No matter how the team did last year, players are full of hope that a new season will bring a fresh start. And it’s true, in spring training, every team is tied for first. Expectations are high, confidences are high, spring is the season of new beginnings.
Genesis 1:1 proclaims that all things start with God! God, meaning Elohim, the triune God - Father, Son and Holy Ghost. When you start with God in every endeavor of life, you already have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost taking part in your success. Say this familiar phrase with me, “Today starts the first day of the rest of my life”. In the Bible, the eighth day represents new beginnings. Today is the eighth day!
You're going to really like these four lessons that I came across on how baseball can teach you about life:
Sometimes you need to proceed one base at a time. There’s nothing like a homerun to light up the scoreboard, but most games are won by singles and doubles that get runners in scoring position. Living life one base at a time takes discipline, patience and perseverance to move ahead “little by little".It’s a good idea to cover your bases. The first, second and third basemen stand close to the base to guard it from approaching runners. Stay close to God’s word like never before. Stay close to the blood of Jesus. Stay close to remembering the Lord through communion. Stay close to the things of God and guard your heart with all vigilance.You can strike out looking or you can strike out swinging. Fans may not like it, but every baseball player knows that striking out is a part of the game. Hall of Famer, Ted Williams, said that baseball is the only field of endeavor that you can succeed three out of 10 times and be considered a success. Players strike out by swinging and missing, or by not swinging at all. In life, you’re going to have hits and misses, but don’t let that stop you from swinging. Opportunities are coming your way every day. Take a swing at them. Do something to move forward and fulfill your God given destiny.Every day is a brand new ballgame. Baseball is the longest season in sports. Smart players know that the World Series is not won in April or May, but instead in September or October. You have to have a short memory of your losses. You can’t dwell on them, you have 162 games to play! Every day is precious and valuable. Every morning start with a blank slate, don’t mess it up with thinking about yesterday’s mistakes.
Today is a new beginning, it’s a new season. Get ready, this is your year to win!