I don’t want to make too much of batting practice on my driveway, but perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned. After the magnificent hit a couple of weeks ago, there has been no occasion to celebrate. John has been a good hitter for several years (he’s hit two home runs over the fence in little league), but one day last week a horrible slump ensued.
Players encounter slumps in every sport, so there’s no huge worry, but since prayer factored into reaching a difficult goal, I wondered if John would suggest we pray about his slump. He didn’t… ball after ball I pitched and swing after swing he missed. It was crazy.
To make matters worse, eight-year-old Charlie who lives across the street, started throwing tennis balls in the air and hitting them with a stick. John just got more and more frustrated. Finally, I could stand it no longer and said, “John, maybe we need to pray like the other day.” He replied, “No… I just can’t hit…” And so the day ended in sad defeat.
I think John will return to his good hitting form one day, but this reminded me of my own history. Sometimes I depend on the Lord; sometimes I don’t. Occasionally I have the type of faith that believes God will really move mountains (and He has), but other times I don’t even consider praying… and if anyone suggests it, I might think, “You can pray if you want, but nothing is going to happen.”
Jesus wants me to know that He does not change. He is not wishy-washy… up one day, down the next. He is God. “You can’t depend on your mood… but you can depend on Me.” Paul wanted believers to know Christ so well that they would never neglect to depend on Him. Let’s encourage one another in like manner.
Paul wrote, “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you… My purpose is that you be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that you may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that you may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thanksgiving.
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of the world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:1-10