Scripture:
- Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25
- “The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8
- Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
Reflection:
During the 1920 Baseball season, Babe Ruth hit 54 home runs. While that is not a record, what makes it one for the record books is that he hit those 54 home runs with only 457 attempts at bat. That means he hit a home run once every 8.463 times he came up to bat. That is a major league record that has stood for over 100 years.
If you think about it, the funny thing about his accomplishment is that it also means that he failed to hit a home run 91.537% of the time. Hitting a baseball that is only 2.86 inches in diameter that travels 60 feet from the pitcher’s mound to home base at nearly 100 m.p.h. takes only .43 seconds. Hitting the ball for a home run is one of the most difficult accomplishments in sports.
It takes our eyes 1/5 of a second to receive incoming information from your retina to travel to your brain to process. That means the ball is half way to home plate before the batter even perceives the ball in flight, giving him about .5 milliseconds to make a decision where and how to swing at the pitch. It’s no wonder that Babe Ruth’s 91.5% failure rate during the 1920 season still stands as an amazing accomplishment over a century later.
For a baseball player to be a home run hitter, they need to perceive where the ball is going to be when it crosses the plate, and try to respond before it arrives. Baseball player are literally swinging by faith, not by sight. Yet the don’t swing by chance. They develop a sensitivity to many factors; from how the ball leaves the pitchers hand to even how the ball rotates as it approaches the plate. To be successful, they need a quick bat, but more importantly they need to be sensitive and aware.
The first time I got into the batting cage and tried to hit a fastball it was quite embarrassing. As hard as I tried, it felt like my body was moving so slowly that I’d never catch up with the baseball, and the ball was going a lot slower than what major league players face! With time and repetition, I got maybe a tad bit better.
Like so many things in life, with a little practice, you become more accustomed and aware, which brings a bit more success. As followers of Jesus, learning to be sensitive and aware of the Holy Spirit’s leading is what it means to be a Christian. We are to be spirit led people that are full of Him and full of His word.
Jesus said to Nicodemus during a night time discussion, “The wind blows where it wishes. You hear it’s sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going.” Nicodemus was confused by this saying. Jews had the law, why did they need anything else? It was a new concept that Jesus took 3 years modeling to his disciples. The Apostle Paul encouraged the Galatians believer, who were likewise tempted to return to the law; “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Keeping in step with the Spirit of God takes some practice. I for one, need to remember that if I don’t get into the batting cage with the Spirit of God and take some swings, I’ll certainly not improve my ability to keep in step with the Spirit of God. Question; could we be missing out on game changing events because we’re not sensitive and aware to the Spirits leading? I’m not saying that the Spirit only throws fast balls our direction, rather I think He lobs pitches our direction hoping we will swing at them. Walking in step with the Holy Spirit requires me to get into the batting cage, keep sensitive and aware, keep my eye on ball, realize I’m not going to succeed every time, and with all the faith I can muster… swing for the fences now and again! Who knows what can happen>
May the Lord give you a renewed desire to be led by His Spirit. There maybe some grand slams for His kingdom in the lives of family and friends, or even in some newly made acquaintances this Christmas season!
David
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