Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game took place last night in Cleveland with the American League winning 4-3.
As everyone celebrates the game of baseball and takes inventory of the first half of the season, the state of the sport can be summed up as being filled with young home run hitters.
David Schoenfield has an article on ESPN.com with the headline, “Generation OPS: How Powerful Young All-Stars are Redefining the Game.” He describes the shift away from players focusing on batting average to being more concerned with their OPS.
MLB.com defines OPS as a stat that “adds on-base percentage and slugging percentage to get one number that unites the two.”
Home run numbers are way up this year for players across the league and records are already being broken. Pitching is still strong with pitchers throwing at extremely high speeds, but it’s all about guys hitting it out of the park.
Baseball experts, players, and managers all have their opinions on the reasons for increased home runs, but I like what Colorado Rockies third baseman, Nolan Arenado, had to say in the article:
"Fastballs are so hard and are spinning the ball. You learn that you don't have to do too much to make things happen. I think that's helped me as a baseball player because you think if someone's throwing hard you have to swing even harder, and I learned just to take a nice smooth swing and put the barrel on the ball and the ball's going to fly.
"I learned that, and I think these young guys have learned that pretty quickly and they know how to do it, and that's why a lot of homers are happening."
Although a counterintuitive approach, when you really think about it, it makes sense.
As players have to learn to ease up and let the bat and ball do the work, a similar approach must be understood in our own lives. Oftentimes we believe we need to “swing even harder” or do more or carry all of the responsibilities.
But like Arenado says, “...you don’t have to do too much to make things happen.”
As we follow Jesus and place our full trust in Him, we’re able to “relax at the plate” and “take a nice smooth swing.” Of course, we still have to swing the bat in life, but it’s not all about trying harder and harder. Instead, we need to rely on Jesus more and more.
When we stop gripping “the bat” so tightly and swing in a way that allows the power of Jesus to do the work in us and through us, we’ll start seeing the “ball go over the fence.”
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP), “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened , and I will give you rest .
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Being yoked to Jesus means we are submitted, connected, have arms around each other, and look to Him to lead the way. It’s not up to us to carry the burden of sin by our own efforts or handle the “fastballs” of life in our own strength by trying to swing harder.
Jesus took care of our biggest obstacle when He died and rose again. Today, let's keep swinging, relying on Jesus to take our burdens...resting in Him as His power helps us knock it out of the park.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for trying to make things happen or do great things in my own strength. I’m carrying way too many burdens and I need to hand them to You. Please help me rest in You, submit to You, and follow You. I desire to experience Your peace. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS: What are the areas of your life that you try to swing harder and do in your own strength? What burdens are you carrying that you need to hand over to Jesus? What does it mean to find rest for your souls?
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