Youth Baseball, Ugh!

Maybe I'm being cynical, but over the years I've developed a dislike for many aspects of youth baseball. Maybe you can relate. I've logged a lot of hours in the bleachers cheering on my two sons while witnessing too many life lessons at the expense of the fun "America's pastime" is suppose to elicit.

Don't get me wrong, sports can provide a wonderful venue to learn life lessons. But, when those lessons consistently revolve around unfair methods, teamwork deteriorating into harassment, and hard work being usurped by "political" connections, it's easy to let the roots of bitterness reach deep into one's heart.

But the spirit of bitterness doesn't have a place in practical Christianity. It is a weed that produces the malicious blossoms of wrath, anger, clamor, and slander. But God, the Master Gardener, provides an effective kingdom spray that prevents this wicked weed from blooming in our hearts. This miracle cure is free of charge and available in any Bible.

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31 NASB).

Have you ever nurtured the dark weed of bitterness? I have. In the past I've been guilty of watering it, protecting it  from frost, and giving it a plant light on cloudy days! But when I saw the ugly blossoms it produced, the weeding process began.

The painful treatment started when I yanked the bitter roots from my heart and head. I discovered that my crummy attitude caused me to judge the motives of coaches, umpires, cocky players, and obnoxious sounding fans in the bleachers. First, I had to realize I couldn't control anyone but myself. I had to let go of the resentments I had been fostering. Not only that, but I had to admit I wasn't privy to the motives driving the decisions and actions of those around me. I needed to learn that God is in complete control and knows exactly what is going on. Sports (and life in general) is His business, not mine, and He will deal with others appropriately.

(Note: sometimes God will lead us to intervene on behalf of our children, but grace, calmness, and practical Christianity should always accompany our actions.)

I've never been outwardly wrathful and angry, but those two buds can certainly bloom big in my thoughts. Have you ever secretly wished a cocky player would strike out? Or that a "jerk" coach would lose a game because his "superstars" played bad? I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I've harbored those awful thoughts in the dark recesses of my mind. Thank goodness 2 Corinthians 10:5 encourages us to take every thought captive out of obedience to Christ. That verse holds me accountable to cast off negative thoughts about others. I still struggle with that, but now when frustration is knocking at my door, I try to utter some sort of prayer appropriate to the situation. It's not always easy, but it is always right.

As if we weren't feeling enough conviction, now we get to explore the "clamor and slander" mentioned in Ephesians 4:31. Clamor is another word for complaining. Well, guess what? Christians aren't suppose to complain. Remember how the Israelites moaned and groaned when they left Egypt in the Old Testament book of Exodus? It's easy to cast stones at others for complaining while not recognizing it as one of our own imperfections.

Clamor is often accompanied by slander because our complaints often point the finger of blame at someone else. Whether or not our complaints have merit, engaging in clamor and slander not only ruins our own testimony, but we make Jesus look bad. Sometimes we just need to bite our tongues, unless we are praying to God to fix our stinkin' thinkin'.

Cynicism such as mine doesn't only exist in youth baseball. You may find similarities in your workplace, your family, at your child's school, the neighborhood, and even in recreational pursuits. Unfairness, harassment, and politics are everywhere and, yes, people (Christian and non-Christian alike) who perpetuate them have their own lessons to learn.

However, when we find ourselves on the receiving end of unfairness, there's always something we can learn in the midst of the difficult circumstances. We can't change others, but we can do our best to absorb what God is trying to teach us. Only then will the closing thoughts of Ephesians 4 blossom in our lives and allow us to bless the lives of those around us, "And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you" (vs 32 NASB).

(c)2008 Shona Neff