You’ve Struck Out! Now What?

So, you’ve stepped up to home plate. This is your moment. This is what you feel God’s called you to do. This is your dream! All eyes are on you. You hear the cheers of your fans and the chants of the opposing team. You’ve trained for this moment.

You take a few swings.

You strike out! Now what?

I know the temptation right now would be to throw your cap to the ground in disgust, kick up some dust with your cleats, and head home with your head down in defeat. Or worse…just stay in the dugout completely oblivious to the game going on right in front of you because YOU struck out (only focusing on yourself and how well YOU did). Nevermind the fact that your friends who are on the same team are still engaged in the game.

No, friend!

Keep training.

Keep being a team player.

Keep showing up.

KEEP TRAINING!

Or START training! Just imagine it! Striking out while you are up to bat in the big league for the very first time! I don’t think the players who strike out simply say, “I’m not cut out for this! I suck! I quit!” No, they keep training!

God is as much in the process as He is in the dream itself. Click To Tweet

God is as much in the process as He is in the dream itself. He wants to train you! He knows how to get you to where you need to be. He knows how to create you into the person who will be able to do it. You will fail. You will make mistakes. But it’s better to be out there trying in faith and obedience than sitting in the stands chewing bubblegum. Hear me: The entire purpose of training is to form Christ in you — not just for your dream to be realized.

The entire purpose of training is to form Christ in you -- not just for your dream to be realized. Click To Tweet

Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep letting God form His Son in your life!

KEEP BEING A TEAM PLAYER!

Baseball players spend more time off the field than actually on the field playing. What you do during training and in the dugout waiting your turn matters just as much as when you are up to bat. In baseball, when the score is down, the players put their rally caps on in support of each other. In other words, the players who are not seen on the field are still very much part of the team. They don’t mentally check out of the game when their turn is over.

Are you still engaged in your dream even when you’re not in the spotlight? Are you in it for yourself, or are you a team player? In baseball, each and every player was selected because they had their specific strengths. They need other! Just like the entire team needs each and every person to play to their strengths, the body of Christ needs you to still be engaged. The dream God has given you is for His glory anyway, not yours! In the body of Christ, we all play different parts. Some are more prominent, but they’re still vital! We pick up each other’s slack and fill in where another is weak. When God blesses someone else, it does not diminish His ability to bless you!

Are you still engaged in your dream even when you’re not in the spotlight? Click To Tweet

KEEP SHOWING UP!

You’ll have another turn up at bat. Yesterday’s stats don’t mean much when you can improve your average starting today.

Don’t give up on your dream just because it didn’t turn out how you thought it would. Stay with it! “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him, the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Your blog post garnered two likes for the thousandth time (even then they were from your best friend and your mom).
Keep showing up!
You gave in the offering but now you’re hurting financially.
Keep showing up!
You’ve done everything God has asked you to do, but nothing is turning out the way it should…
Keep showing up!
You purposed to keep yourself pure before marriage, but you get raped!
Keep showing up!
You step out in faith and obedience, and you are misunderstood.
Keep showing up!
You preach God’s goodness to a hurting world. It’s not well received by some.
Keep showing up!

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” He will make your paths straight! He will make sure His purposes are carried out in His way, in His time and in His power!

Next time you’re up to bat and you strike out, you won’t have to ask yourself, “Now what?” You’ll know!