My eight year old son has developed a passion for baseball. He enjoys playing it, watching it, talking about it and learning about it. If you sit down and talk with him about the history of baseball, he can discuss many of the greatest players of the game. He plays games on Thursdays and Saturdays and has practice on Wednesday. I enjoy being one of his assistant coaches and have gained an even deeper appreciate for baseball. At one time, baseball was known as the "American Pastime", but we the kinetic pace of life, most Americans can't sit still long enough to last through a baseball game. Baseball is a game that combines skill with preparation. You have to be thinking constantly to be an effective player because one lapse of concentration can cost you the game. While in the field, a player must always be ready even if a ball is never hit in his direction the entire game. He must be aware of the runners on base, the amount of outs, the pitch count and so much more. If he is on his toes, when the ball comes his way, he is able to make the right play at the right time. Very few Americans have the patience and ability to appreciate the wonderful pace of baseball. Baseball has become my favorite game for this very reason. It doesn't hurt to have two major league teams within a thirty minute drive of my home, either. Thaddeus and I will love to go to the ball park as soon as it opens to watching batting practice, try to catch foul balls, watch our favorite players warm up and soak in the beauty of the game. We will probably even go this Friday evening to watch my favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles play the Oakland A's.
It's too bad that we live in such an immediate culture. We can access the internet on our phones, we can microwave our food in just a few seconds and a multitude of other tasks which come easily with the press of a button. We want what we want...and we want it now. If we have to wait too long, we just move on to something else. The technology has increased the speed of our lives and the amount of free/down time has actually diminished. This is one of the great paradoxes of our culture: We have all of these time-saving devices, yet we have less free time than ever. Our entire culture is attention-deficit. We bounce from one fad to another, one bedroom to another, one website to another, one church to another, one sever to another, etc. Baseball is no longer as popular because Americans need instant gratification and entertainment.
Unfortunately, the Church is suffering from this same disorder. We have lost the ability to be still and know that God is God. We spend so much time trying to determine the latest "movement" in pop culture and stay "relevant" that we have lost purpose and peace. We are trying to mold the Church into something that will be attractive to our culture, but it's like juggling jello. Our culture keeps shifting and "evolving" that there is no way we can keep up with the latest trend. Bottom line: The Church has become too worldly. We are trying to hard to fit in, so when God really moves, we don't recognize it. We are too busy trying to figure out if we "feel" close to God or if we "sense" Him touching our lives. We are too self-centered in our faith and not Christ-centered in our faith. We are like the baseball player who begins to focus on the fans in the stands rather than on the play in the field. His mind has wandered and so when it is time for him to make a play, he is not prepared.
Jesus warned us in Matthew 25:13 to "Keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour." He was speaking of His return after He had just told the parable of the ten virgins. I don't want to be like to the foolish virgins who had no oil because they weren't prepared. They had to run off and buy some more because the bridegroom came later than they expected. I don't want to waste my time on the things that don't matter and miss opportunities to share Christ. I don't want to get sucked into trying to become culturally relevant while I compromise the truths of Scripture. If the Church is obeying and honoring Christ, the world will be attracted to Jesus not the Church. Jesus told us that if He were lifted up, He would draw all men to Himself. Our goal isn't to make our church attractive. Our goal is not even to make Jesus attractive. Our goal is to lift Jesus up. It is to honor Him in the way we live our lives...how we conduct business...how we study in school...how we honor Biblical values...how we treat our spouse...how we treat our kids/parents...etc. To do this, we have got to be on our toes. We must have our mind of the things of Christ and that which truly matters to Him. Great theology is no substitute for humble service. God doesn't utilize the best equipped, He utilizes those who are ready. Are you on your toes and looking for the opportunity to honor Christ in each moment?
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