COMMONWEALTH

Over a decade ago, I began coaching my sons on their baseball teams. It has been an amazing lesson not only in parenting, but also in pastoring. Several times each week, we gather with our teams for the instructing period known as practice, and then we experience the moment where we see the fruit of that work—game time. What has always struck me is the visible development of a player through the discipline of practice. From the first days of t-ball to the most recent seasons, I have watched my sons and their teammates grow into capable players who truly understand the game.

The greatest challenge in learning the sport has not been the physical skills—hitting, pitching, fielding, or base running. Those are often the easiest parts to develop. The most difficult aspect is mental. This is not unique to baseball; it is true of all team sports. How does a player approach the game? Are they an encourager? Can they handle failure? Do they accept coaching and correction? Can they offer correction to teammates in a healthy way? These questions are vital to the success of any team.

We all know how team sports can become toxic. Many of the biggest problems arise from unhealthy mindsets: pursuing victory at all costs with no regard for ethics or sportsmanship, selfish pride and ambition, refusing to take responsibility, blaming others, quitting when adversity comes, or becoming an insufferable winner when success arrives. While we easily recognize these attitudes on the field, they also appear in everyday life—at church, at school, and in the workplace.

Team sports, it turns out, have much to teach us about how we are to live. This is why it is so important for Christians to carry their faith with them onto the field, whether competing or coaching. This does not mean performative displays meant to check a box, but rather a faith that shapes our character and guides our responses. We can become so focused on winning or losing that we miss the greater significance of the moments we share with teammates and even opponents. In both sport and life, we are called to reflect our faith through the way we live.

As both a pastor and a coach, I hope Christians will be encouragers and guides to those around them. May we demonstrate Christlikeness on the field, in our churches, in our homes, and in our workplaces. May we look to Scripture to help us live with grace, humility, dedication, patience, and mercy as we pursue excellence in all we do. These are not competing goals. Striving for excellence and living as salt and light in the world belong together. Life is a gift—let us reflect its Giver in every part of it.