Yesterday, the announcement was made that Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, and Trevor Hoffman have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. These players were the big MLB stars when I was growing up, so I'm happy to hear they're going in.
Each of them have impressive numbers and a long list of accomplishments, but it's important to acknowledge what makes them individually unique and memorable.
ESPN.com has an article today with the headline, “There’s Only One Chipper Jones: Ten Things That Make No. 10 Special, From Those Who Know Him Best.”
They asked his former manager, agent, and teammates to contribute to the list and No. 9 stood out to me the most: “He was a man of the people.”
Former teammate David Ross said, “He was a veteran guy and a Hall of Fame guy that you could get on. He made you feel as if you were on his level. That made it easy to be his teammate and fun to be around.
"He never put himself up on a pedestal, which I always respected. He didn't talk down to anybody. He would go to team dinners. A lot of time you don't see the superstar doing that stuff. He was always in the mix.”
Chipper does appear to be likable, relatable, and personable, which aren't always common characteristics for star athletes. I especially admire that "he didn't talk down to anybody."
Ross' perspective is worth contemplating as we evaluate how others feel around us. Although most of us aren’t famous, we have positions at work or status in society that can lead to separation or appearing elevated.
This can cause us to think we're better or more important than others, and prevent them from "feeling as if they were on our level." Being unapproachable and impersonable can ultimately be the end result.
Whether it’s our co-workers or family members who have “lesser” jobs or the people society classifies as “lesser than,” we have the choice to treat them equally with love and grace...or act like a “superstar” who talks down to them.
If we aren’t careful, we can show favoritism toward those we deem worthy of our attention, and disregard or mistreat others who aren’t on our “level.”
The Bible discusses the sin of partiality and favoritism in James 2:1 (AMP), "My fellow believers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of partiality ."
This may be a command we overlook, but if we desire to follow Jesus and be more like Him, we must be aware of how we treat others. We need to ask ourselves if we are holding back love and kindness because of how we view them.
Thankfully, God doesn’t show favoritism. Acts 10:34-35 (NLT) tells us, "Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation He accepts those who fear Him and do what is right.”
God has made Himself approachable to all by making salvation through Jesus available to everyone. In response, we should humbly love others. Today (like Chipper Jones), let’s choose to be “in the mix” by getting off the “pedestal” we foolishly place ourselves on.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for showing favoritism or partiality toward certain people, instead of treating everyone with respect and kindness. I confess I’ve overlooked people who I didn’t think were on my level and didn’t show them the love I should have. Please help me to be more like Jesus. In His name I pray, Amen.
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