“God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” - Romans 1:28
I can’t help but become concerned when I read this verse, not only for myself, but also for my fellow man. One could summarize Romans chapter 1 by saying that people work really hard to suppress the truth about God. In verse 19 the Apostle Paul states, “For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them.” We see God’s creation around us everyday! We have eternity written on our hearts, but we devise schemes, whether we realize it or not, to suppress what we know to be true about God. There was a time in my life when I was using baseball to suppress the truth. Baseball was and idol! I gave no attention to God! I didn’t think of God at all, I was on my own path and making my own way. I was an angry type of ballplayer. I was quick to have my pitchers throw at guys. I was the first one off the bench if things got heated on the field. Even though I had great statistics and promise, especially defensively, scouts didn’t like my hot headedness, which ultimately caused my playing career to end somewhat abruptly in 2006. I was 22 years old, with a college degree, and the only thing I truly “loved” was out of my life. I was miserable. I took the first job that I could find with my Finance degree and started to spiral down from there. I went from never drinking or partying in college to doing so every weekend. I was in really rough shape. I was in a hole.
God had given me over to a debased mind. He had made it clear in his Book, but I did not repent.
Christian when was the last time you prayed? I don’t mean the, “God please help me” type of prayer. I mean actually sitting down for 30 minutes or so and really fleshing it out? Maybe you’re reading this and you’re not a believer. I’d like to encourage you to give Jesus a second thought. Examine your life. I can almost guarantee that, although it may be subtle, God has given you over to a debased mind! As a society we have become really good at being busy. We also have become really good at justifying it. I’ve had close friends, family members, and my wife especially tell me, “you should be coaching.” They say, “you know so much about the game, and so many people could benefit from that knowledge.” My past successes as a coach in Arizona bear this out. I’m not talking wins and losses. I’m talking about getting emails and texts from former players expressing their gratuity for sharing Christ, for feeling like they were ready to join the military (I run a regimented, upbeat, but fun practice), for showing up early and staying late, and for preaching the importance of good grades! It would be easy for me to justify a re-entry into coaching. I’m certain my heart is in the right place. I’m certain my obedience to Christ would over flow into helping young players. I’m certain that I could be a devoted husband and father, as the Bible calls me to be in Deuteronomy 6 among other places and still coach. Right now it is just a matter of timing, and I’m fine with waiting, because the things I’m giving my time to right now are of great eternal value. I’m with my kids A LOT. I work from home, I eat lunch with them everyday, I’m involved with their homeschooling, and I get to be with them at every practice and every game. Their is no debasement in that. I’m taking care of what God has called me to at this specific point in time.
Coach, parent, ballplayer - Are the things you’re living for worth Christ dying for? Are you taking the time to express your gratuity for Christ in prayer and worship? Are you ignoring the basics of what professing Christians should be doing everyday? If you’re not a believer, what’s stopping you from considering this? Have you made an idol out of baseball? Is it consuming all of your thoughts and energy?
Jesus Christ died for you. Take it or leave it. But if you leave it, you do so at your own peril.