“And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased’.” (Matthew 3:17)
If you’re a parent or a grandparent, you’ve probably been out this spring and summer watching your child or grandchild play soccer, baseball, or some other sport. It’s a real joy to watch them, isn’t it?
Have you ever noticed how much we live through our children? Take a good look at how all those parents and grandparents behave when you go to your next ballgame. And while you’re at it, take a good look at yourself. It’s a great opportunity to learn a little more about your relationship with Jesus while your child or grandchild learns more about how to play his or her favorite sport.
My kids are all grown up now. But I haven’t forgotten how I felt when my son stepped up to the plate. It was as if I were right there in the batter’s box with him. When he struck out, I struck out. And when he hit the ball, I found myself figuratively running down the baseline with him, trying to beat the throw to first base.
As parents and grandparents, our prime may have passed us as far as baseball is concerned, but we still play these games through our children. It’s called living vicariously, which means we can enjoy the thrill of victory and agony of defeat all over again.
Jesus lives through us in much the same way that we live through our children. When we made the decision to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we also agreed to allow his spirit to dwell within us and guide our lives. Consequently, the accomplishments that Christ registers in this world are going to depend on how well we play the game!
As Christians, we are members of a team, too, one that the Bible calls the Body of Christ. That’s why the Apostle Paul said, “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:5)
In many ways, our positions in the body of Christ are determined much like the positions our children play on those teams we’re running all over town to watch. God positions us based upon the particular talents that we have. The Bible calls those talents gifts, and God expects us to use those gifts to win others to Christ, even when we don’t believe we can hit the pitch. “On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” (I Corinthians 12:22)
My relationship with my children has also taught me an important lesson about God’s forgiveness. No one can test your patience more than your own child. In fact, I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but there have been nights when I couldn’t wait for their bedtimes to arrive.
Any parent understands what I’m talking about. Sometimes the day just wears long, and for whatever reason, we didn’t get along very well with our children. They haven’t been very good children, and we haven’t been very good parents. Yet, just when we think we have had it up to here with them, they look up at us from their pillows and say, “I’m sorry, Dad,” or “See you tomorrow, Mom.”
Believe it or not, God has those kinds of days with us. But when we look up and say, “Forgive me, Father,” His forgiveness for us, in whatever way that we may we have failed Him, is as spontaneous and complete as our forgiveness is for our children when they apologize for failing to live up to our expectations.
We love our children in spite of their flaws. We see the good in them and know that their lives have promise even when they fail. God loves us the same way. So remember, when you’re not sure you can take what the game of life is throwing your way, you have someone on the sidelines who is rooting for you, too. And whether you strike out or hit a home run, he’s going to be with you every step of the way. That’s why he said, “”Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
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