In Your Court

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

TENNIS IS COMPELLING. A serve is volleyed, and there are only two choices: Hit it back, or miss the opportunity and lose control of the ball again. When the ball is in your court, you have to keep control of the ball to win.

The ball is in your court, a phrase we toss about freely, is a pretty strong challenge said in a nice way. It means, “I pass the responsibility to you, so you’d better follow up and do something.” The best option is always to do something quickly and completely to fulfill your responsibility and move the game forward.

What happens all too often is that the ball gets lobbed into someone’s court with no warning and no instruction. A failure to communicate that you are passing the ball into someone else’s court is dangerous because that person can assume it is still in your court. Whenever you give responsibility for part of your call or dream to someone else, make sure to write out instructions, the results you hope to see, and when you hope to see them.

Remember, it is still your ball, no matter where it is, and God holds you responsible for that call.