Holy Baseball Mitts
What’s the purpose of a Baseball Mitt? It’s not for protection. It’s purpose is to catch the ball that comes to us so that when we receive it, we can throw it to someone else. What we receive is never only for us. We receive it so that we can pass it on. This analogy relates to the “foolishness of the cross.” Why is it foolish? The cross is foolishness to the world because they cannot understand the suffering that Christ endured there. They don’t have the spiritual “baseball Mitt” to receive spiritual truth. God’s gift of the Holy Spirit is the spiritual “baseball mitt.” This is the gift of God that we received when we were were saved through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Like a baseball mitt, the Holy Spirit is our spiritual “transceiver” so that we can receive spiritual truth and then pass it on to others.
What is the answer to the world’s question, “Why does God allow bad things happen to good people.?” The answer is in another question, “What do you mean by ‘good?” That’s what Jesus Christ asked the rich young ruler who called him “good master.” He said, “Why do you call me good? There is none good, no not one.” Our secular humanism value system says “anything that causes pain is bad. Anything that alleviates pain is good.” However the Word of God says that pain and suffering are for our good. Why does God allow pain and suffering? It’s because he loves us. The value system of God is the opposite of the value system of the world. James 1:2-4 says about suffering, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
Rejoice in tribulation because trials result in patience through which we are being perfected. The testing of our faith is so that our faith will remain strong. The reason for the hope is the cross of Christ. Jesus said, for he who loses his life for my sake shall find it. The problem is not in pain and suffering… it was intended for our good.
In Judges 10, God sent the foreign enemies against Israel because they had turned their backs on the Living and true God. When Israel cried to Jehovah in their affliction, the Lord said, “go call unto your pagan gods.” When Israel returned to God in repentance, they cried, “Lord do to us whatever you see fit, but rescue us now.” The moment that they repented, God could no longer stand their misery. However, the Lord would rather see their body and soul suffer so that they would gain the things of the spirit. There is no problem with suffering from God’s perspective. We hate suffering because we enjoy our “comfort of the flesh” over the “comfort of the Holy Spirit.” The “comforter” is the Holy Spirit that will accompany us through the fellowship of Christ’s suffering when we do the will of God.
Sometimes, the things that we think are “bad” God is using for the good. The ultimate good as Paul said is “the furtherance of the gospel.” Our righteousness is not in what we do. Rather, righteousness is revealed in us as we walk according to what he has placed in front of us to do. Our righteousness is only in him, for he who knew no sin was made the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. We are never our own reason for God to bless us. The only reason for receiving the blessings of God is to walk inside of his will. He would rather allow our bodies to suffer so that his strength may be made perfect in our weakness.
The worldly value system says that our greatness is a result of our worldly achievements. However, the true way to be exalted is to lower ourselves in humility before the Lord so that he can lift us up. God is longing to be gracious to us. The prerequisite to receive God’s grace and mercy is to approach his throne of grace with a humble and a contrite heart. When we fall on our knees in humility and meekness, then he can lift us up. Therefore rejoice in the suffering. For tribulation worketh patience and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which given to us. Before we can approach the throne of grace, we like the prodigal son, must “come to ourselves.” When we have nothing left in our own power and of our own possession, then we can “arise and go unto our father.” He will embrace us in his arms.
God’s glory is displayed when we rejoice with Him by putting off the glory of the flesh and glorying in Him alone. Anything done with a selfish motive is still sin. If done for the purpose of our own vain glory, then the result is vanity, emptiness, and will come to naught. When Peter and John were beaten in the book of Acts for preaching about Christ, they said that we count it all joy to God to be able to suffer for His glory.
We cannot finish in the flesh what was begun in the spirit. Therefore, I press toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. God has called us as his “holy baseball mitts.” We have received the Holy Spirit from our loving Heavenly Father when we were born again of His spirit. We have been called to pass it on to others, for he has given us the word of reconciliation and has committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation. We have received the spirit of God in Christ in us so that we can give it away. In other words our mission is this: Give ’em Heaven!
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael