God's Coaching #129

God's Coaching #129

Juan Uribe never met a pitch he didn’t like to swing at. The San Francisco Giants shortstop swung at the second highest percentage of pitches in the National League during the 2010 season. His batting average of .248 wasn’t horrible, but he struck out about once for every five times he batted.

On May 9, 2010, Juan recorded a first in his 10-year career. The New York Mets threw him 21 pitches, and Juan swung at . . . zero. Juan walked four times in one game for the first time in his 1,136 Major League contests. His patience at the plate helped the Giants win 6–5.

What’s the Score?

Juan normally didn’t show a lot of self-control at the plate. He loved to swing away, even at pitches that were out of the strike zone. Often his lack of discipline made him look silly and resulted in his getting out. But by earning four walks in one game, Juan displayed discernment and self-control. Proverbs 25:28 says, “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” In other words, he or she is going to get beat.

In Bible days, a city’s walls were its main protection from enemies. The people lived inside the walls where it was safe and guarded. Remember Jericho? The people there were confident because their city had big, strong walls—they just couldn’t stand up to God’s power.

How’s your self-control? There are many areas in our lives where we need it: controlling our mouths from hurtful words, keeping ourselves from eating too much junk food, not losing our tempers, and more. When we lose control, we often do things we regret later. It takes practice to learn discipline and to avoid making mistakes where we’re weak. But like Juan, we can master self-control even in our weakest areas—with God’s help.

On the Ball

What’s your weakness? Make today the day you beat it all day. Ask for God’s help. Plan now for how you’ll respond when you’re tempted to lose control.

Coach’s Comment

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:28