The Good At-Bat
The event is over, the teaching complete and the task is in the rearview. Thus, the mental game of evaluation begins. Endless questions accost us. How did I do? Were people interested? Why didn’t more attend? Why is my gut twisting to tell me I’m a failure? You know what you ask. Answers range from feeling like a smashing success to believing you’re an abject failure. Our attitudes, perceived worth and enthusiasm for the next effort hang in the balance of what we tell ourselves in these moments. Why do we rely on the visible to determine effectiveness and let our performance determine our value?
Baseball players appear to fail often. The reality is even the best batters in MLB history return to the dugout recording an out 7 out of the 10 times they bat. Batting average measures a batter’s success at the plate, that is, how often he gets a hit. In fact, even batters who don’t record hits 90% of the time get paid handsomely. That’s because the goal of having a baseball team is getting runs and winning games. A trip back to the dugout after a good at-bat can serve this purpose. The goal of God’s Kingdom is that He gets the glory in the lives of his redeemed people. A disappointing outing in our book can serve this purpose. Our God rules by a different book.
When struggling batters walk back to the dugout without a hit after a long at-bat, optimistic commentators may say, “he’s worked the pitcher deep into the count to tire him out” or “the guy on first got to steal second base” That’s because, according to the manager, there are successful at-bats that end in an out for the batter. A sacrifice fly to advance a runner could deliver the winning run, but it will never show up on that batter’s stat line. Countless strategies exist to chase the opposing pitcher from the game, manufacture runs and secure victories.
The batter’s job, like our job when we step into life and ministry, is to put together a good at-bat. We rely on thorough preparation and try to control what we can in execution. In baseball, that means a lot of practice, strength training, staying healthy and accepting coaching. Batters learn from past attempts, recognize a hittable pitch and improve at fighting off the nasty ones. What a batter cannot control is what pitches he’ll see, whether he’ll make contact, and the destination and distance the ball travels if he does. If he controlled those things, we’d see home runs all day, every day.
Ministry and life behave similarly. Whether it’s a meeting you’re presenting for work, a ministry task regularly performed, a conversation with your spouse or disciplining your child, the at-bats we’re presented give us constant opportunity to prepare well, step up to the plate, and then let go of the results. This frees us from attaching our value and identity to the immediate and visible result. We are loved by God equally before and after the at-bat. Proverbs 21:31 says, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” How often I record an out and beat myself up on the way back to the dugout because the immediate and visible results weren’t what I’d envisioned. Or I experience the thrill of rounding the bases on a home run amidst the crowd’s cheers and then believe it was all my effort. Both pose dangers, but thankfully there is a more balanced way.
A good life at-bat involves faithful preparation, obedient execution and a humble offering.
Faithful preparation: A horse needs to be made ready for battle. Health needs to be maintained. Strength should be sought. Our deeply-rooted identity in God needs to be developed. Prayer must not cease. The Scripture passage needs to be studied, understood and applied with care. The content is to be prepared well and refined as it is rehearsed. Trusted feedback welcomed. When we say, “Leave room for the Holy Spirit to work,” in lieu of hard work, we are not being faithfully prepared. Being fully-prepared gives the Spirit tools to wield wisely in our execution. Work with God to develop a plan of faithful preparation to lead your small group, serve a neighbor, raise your children or love your spouse. Diligent work off the field makes better batters on the field.
Obedient execution: A well-trained horse is considered ready for battle when it can be trusted to execute obediently, being redirected or reined in at the call of its master. It hears and responds eagerly. We must increase our belief and trust that the One leading us really does lead us best. We must hone our hearing and heeding of God’s Spirit, ready to pivot away from our game plan when the play call changes.
Humble offering: Regularly remind yourself that victory belongs to God. This is where we take God seriously, not ourselves. Horses rarely get medals for battle victories. The swings we take are a humble offering to the One in charge of the game. He directs the hits. He decides whether we get to run the bases to score or walk back to the dugout to cheer on a teammate. His decisions and direction can mystify us, but we can rely on Him “working in us that which is pleasing in his sight” (Heb 13:21) and doing “more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20). We may experience the results today, only in eternity, or somewhere in between. Rest in his acceptance and usage of your humble effort.
Our world, our churches, and our communities need people who step up to the plate well-prepared and let God optimize the outcomes. He knows how best to score the runs that will win His Kingdom the game. We must be faithful, obedient and humble.