Audience of One
Baseball gives you a lot of people to impress.
Coaches. Teammates. Parents. Scouts. Recruiters. Fans.
From a young age, baseball players learn that someone is always watching. Play well enough and maybe the coach puts you in the lineup. Perform at the right tournament and maybe a scout remembers your name. Put up good enough numbers and maybe the next opportunity comes.
But for the Christian baseball player, there is a bigger question:
Who are you really playing for?
Colossians 3:23–24 says:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters... It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Whatever you do.
That includes baseball.
The Christian player should work hard. We should prepare. We should compete. We should pursue excellence with everything we have.
But Scripture challenges us to examine why we do those things.
Are you working hard because your coach is watching?
Are you taking extra swings because you want someone to notice?
Are you chasing success because you want recognition?
Or are you using the ability God gave you to glorify Him?
Who Gets the Glory?
First Corinthians 10:31 says:
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Again, Scripture says whatever you do.
God doesn't only care about what happens at church. Following Jesus doesn't stop when you walk into the clubhouse.
The way you practice can glorify God.
The way you compete can glorify God.
The way you treat teammates can glorify God.
The way you respond to failure can glorify God.
Even the way you sit on the bench can glorify God.
Baseball becomes another opportunity to worship Him through the way we live.
When Nobody Is Watching
It's easy to work hard when the head coach is standing behind the cage.
It's harder when nobody is watching.
But Scripture reminds us that God sees beyond what everyone else sees.
First Samuel 16:7 says:
“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
A coach sees the result.
God sees the heart behind it.
He sees the extra work nobody applauded. He sees how you respond when your teammate gets the opportunity you wanted. He sees how you treat the player who can't help your career. He sees whether you give the same effort when you're starting as you do when you're sitting.
That's why our motivation can't depend entirely on who is watching.
God always is.
Stop Playing for Approval
Galatians 1:10 asks:
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?”
That's a difficult question for athletes.
Because baseball gives us constant opportunities to chase people's approval.
We want coaches to believe in us.
We want teammates to respect us.
We want scouts to notice us.
There is nothing wrong with wanting opportunities or hoping your hard work gets recognized. The problem begins when their approval becomes more important than God's.
Because people's opinions change.
One coach might think you're incredible.
Another might not think you're good enough.
One season everyone knows your name.
The next season you might struggle.
If you're playing for the approval of people, you'll spend your entire career chasing something that constantly moves.
But when you play for Christ, your purpose remains the same.
Your Audience of One
So take batting practice like you're doing it for Him.
Run your sprints like you're doing them for Him.
Take your ground balls like you're doing them for Him.
Encourage your teammates for Him.
Handle failure in a way that honors Him.
Compete with everything you have for Him.
Romans 12:1 calls believers to offer their lives to God as a “living sacrifice” and says that this is our true and proper worship.
Worship isn't limited to singing songs on Sunday.
For a baseball player, worship can happen between the foul lines.
Every practice, every game, every opportunity and every failure can become an opportunity to say:
God, this is for You.
There may be hundreds of people in the stands.
There may be coaches evaluating you and scouts writing your name down.
Give them your best.
But never forget who you're ultimately playing for.
Play for an Audience of One.