"I am
the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear
much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
When I swung
and connected with the baseball, I knew it and everyone in the ballpark knew
it. And when I swung at the ball and missed it, everyone knew that as well.
In baseball
hitting the ball is clearly and literally a matter of hit or miss!
Back when I
played baseball I hated not connecting with the ball. I couldn’t stand it when
I struck out. So, I figured out the best way to help me make contact with the
ball on a regular basis. I widened by stance to shorten my stride. That kept my
head level as I swung at the ball. I also shortened my swing so I could wait
longer on the pitch and get the bat into the hitting zone quickly.
That worked
so well that I rarely struck out. In fact, my first two seasons of college ball
I didn’t strike out at all. But neither did I hit many long balls. Catchers are
supposed to be power hitters and I was hitting line drive base hits.
Being a
contact hitter wasn’t a ticket to the big leagues but it felt better than
striking out.
But in the
spiritual sense, I am happy to be a contact hitter. The more I connect with God
the better I like it! And as long as I remain connected to Him I will never
strike out!
Spiritually
speaking, I know when I have connected with God and when I haven’t.
You can know
that, too!
The reason
you swing and miss is because you try to strike out on your own instead of
connecting with Him and continuing in Him.
You too, can
develop a way to be a “contact hitter” spiritually.
Hitters are
happiest when they are hitting. They are most unhappy when they are swinging
and missing.
Believers
are happiest when they live connected with God through Jesus who promises, If you remain in me and I in you, you will
bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Connect with
God today. Call on His Name. Submit to Him. Not only will you have the thrill
of contact but you can also take it deep!