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Some of life’s biggest questions can be answered on the baseball field. This occurred to me when my son, Jordan, was in elementary school and played Little League baseball. He loved it, but honestly, he wasn’t very good. It seemed like nearly every time he got up to bat, his team already had two outs. Getting the third out always felt so much worse than getting one of the first two. I sat in the stands praying silently that the pitcher would throw four balls and Jordan would get a walk. Anything so my son would not get that awful third out and end the inning for his team.
After a particularly rough game, I asked Jordan if it bothered him to get the third out. He shrugged and said, “Not really. Except in the ninth inning, I always get another at-bat so I can just keep trying.”
I felt so relieved that my son wasn’t bothered by striking out. But why did I feel such pressure on his behalf? The truth was, I felt a lot of pressure to perform in my own life too. What if I messed up and disappointed God? Would He stop loving me? How many chances does God give us? What does the Bible say about life’s biggest questions?
Big Question #1 – Does God Have a Three-strikes Rule?
The third time [Jesus] said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
– John 21:17, English Standard Version
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”
In John 18, just before Jesus was crucified, Peter denied three times even knowing Jesus, just as Jesus predicted he would. John 21 contains their entire conversation on the beach after Jesus’ Resurrection. Bible scholars believe that the reason Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him was to reinstate Peter and make sure he knew that Jesus forgave him.
Peter denied Jesus three times—three strikes—but Jesus offered forgiveness the next time He saw him. In fact, He told Peter that He would use him to build His church. Jesus didn’t count Peter out, and He doesn’t count us out either. He knows we’re going to make mistakes, but He will forgive us and still look for ways to use us in the Kingdom.
Big Question #2 – Does God Love Me Less When I strike Out?
Though the mountains be shaken
– Isaiah 54:10 , New International Version
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
God loves us unconditionally. Our performance does not determine that. God doesn’t base His love for us on batting averages or annual salaries. Even when we fail, we don’t need to question His love. God doesn’t love you one bit more when you hit a home run than when the pitcher whizzes three fastballs by you before you can even swing the bat. No matter what is happening in your life, you can count on God’s constant love.
Big Questions #3 – What Should I Do While I’m in the Dugout?
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
– 1 Thessalonians 5:11 , New International Version
Sometimes we need to spend some time in the dugout. In other words, it’s just not our turn to be in the game. It could be an injury or an illness or that God knows we need a break. What should we do during this time? One of the best things to do is to cheer for our teammates and encourage them in their work, even while we take a much-needed rest from ours. Just as a baseball team works together as a unit, so do believers work together for God’s Kingdom. When one believer hits it out of the park, we all can celebrate the victory.
Listen now to a short segment of this meditation from Abide based on 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Let God speak to you about one of life’s biggest questions: How can I make a difference?
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Diane is a wife, the mother of five, and a writer. She writes about the important things in life: her family and her faith.
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