How you play determines the outcome

In the book, Live, Learn and Pass It Along, written and compiled by H. Jackson Brown, a 64-year-old man wrote, "I've learned you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back."

I am reminded of the many people in the Bible who we view as "spiritual giants". In truth, many were weak men until God gave them power and strength: Gideon was scared. Thomas was a doubter. Peter was a fighter. Abraham was caught in more than one lie. Moses thought he should be in control of everything and everybody.

Yet, all these men had something they could pass along. The same thing that made a difference in their lives, also makes a difference in our own. When God called, they were willing to be obedient and was willing to pass what they had along to the next generation. They were willing to sacrifice for others; willing to give of themselves.It's not probable that God will use a person who is too selfish to go the extra mile or to give up, at least, some of his/her time to increase His Kingdom.

I love to travel and go on vacation, but I've found that much of the joy of a vacation is "the getting there". The planning. The packing. The anticipation. The talking about it with your friends. The adventures before the destination. There is something about the "act of getting there" that is exciting.

I believe it's the same with working for God. It's the little steps that take us toward success that keeps us excited and loving the journey. When we no longer are excited about going to heaven, we'll stop passing the excitement along to people around us.

Ever been in love? Of course, you have and you'll remember the excitement you felt when you was just "planning" to get together. Remember when you talked on the phone for hours? Planning for the trip to the altar is a very exciting adventure.

In the beginning, (Genesis 1:28) God gave mankind four commands that He has never rescinded: Be fruitful. Multiply and fill the earth. Subdue it. Have dominion over it.

We can do none of those things if we have catcher's mitts on both hands. If we are takers and not givers, life will get very disappointing.

What do you do the most of?

Pitching or catching? Too much of either leaves you feeling used. Always remember, we must have a balance in everything we do. We don't need two catcher's mitts and we don't need to stand there with two bare hands poised to pitch. When you have one of each, your chance of winning the game is much greater.