God's Coaching #258

God's Coaching #258

The Baltimore Orioles were in a world of hurt. A poor start, weak pitching, an unreliable bull pen, an utter lack of clutch hitting, and an unfortunate rash of injuries all conspired to wreck the team’s promising 2010 season. From the outset, the Orioles went into a nosedive like an airplane that has lost all its engines. Eighteen games into the season, the team was 2–16 and in danger of posting the worst record in the franchise’s 56-year history in Baltimore.

Then, on July 29, the Orioles hired Buck Showalter as their new manager. In his first game, he led the team to a 6–3 win over the Los Angeles Angels, which began a four-game winning streak. The Orioles ended up winning eight of their first nine games under Buck’s leadership. A spark had been lit seemingly overnight. Baltimore improved in all phases of its game: hitting, pitching, and defense. Before Buck became the manager, the Orioles had gone 32–73 for a miserable .305 winning percentage. Under Buck, the team went 34–23 (.596) in the last two months—a drastic turnaround rarely seen with midseason managerial changes.

What’s the Score?

As Christians, we experience a similarly radical turnaround. In Ephesians 2:1, the Bible says we were once “dead in [our] transgressions and sins” (NIV). But when Christ comes into our lives through our repentance and faith, we are radically changed. God starts the turnaround process by forgiving all our sins (both past and future), changing our hearts, and giving us his Holy Spirit to guide us into righteousness.

The Bible describes this transformation with some vivid imagery. John 3:3 calls it being “born again.” Ephesians 2:5 says we are made “alive with Christ” (NIV). And 2 Corinthians 5:17 describes us as a “new person.” However you describe it, it’s an incredible turnaround that is possible only because of the sinless Son of God’s death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf. Praise God!

On the Ball

Read Ephesians 2 and John 3 to gain a greater understanding of how God radically changes lives.

Coach’s Comment

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17