San Diego Padres shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr., has burst onto the scene in Major League Baseball and at the age of 21 is making history.
During the 102 games this rising superstar has played, he's hit more home runs and achieved a better batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage than Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout, and Alex Rodriguez in the same number of games.
Fernando has brought relevancy to the Padres and is also helping them win as they sit 1.5 games back from first place in the NL West.
The son of a former Major Leaguer, he has all the necessary physical tools to be a great baseball player, but the other quality that makes him stand out is his joy.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote a long feature about Fernando with the headline, “Bringing Joy Back to Baseball.” In the article he writes the following:
“Whether he's manning shortstop for the San Diego Padres or he's away from the field, Tatis is dancing and gabbing and dapping and gesticulating, so perpetually in motion that he's a thermodynamic anomaly. Even Tatis' laugh is a full-body undertaking. His neck snaps back, his dyed-blond dreadlocks follow suit, his shoulders shrug, his torso heaves. He radiates joy.”
Padres general manager, A.J. Preller, adds, "He does with energy and passion."
Every baseball fan may not love how expressive Fernando can be, but the fact that he plays with joy, passion, and energy is captivating and needed with the way the world is right now.
Not everyone communicates their joy the same way, but witnessing a young athlete love the game of baseball and enjoy playing out on the field is refreshing.
Joy is contagious and uplifting in both sports and life. But with so much negativity and frustration all around us, it can be hard to remain joyful and find genuinely joyful people.
There’s a difference between being happy only when things are going well versus consistently living with joy. We can choose joy, stand on joy, and cling to joy - even when things are going wrong. It comes down to our perspective and the source of our joy.
James writes in chapter 1:2-3 (NLT), “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
When we value the development of our faith and the process of the journey, we can even view trials and difficulties as an opportunity to experience joy. We don’t have to be happy about our hardships, but we can be joyful in knowing God is working in and through us.
I think we can all agree that it’s more fun to watch athletes play their sport with joy. It's also more pleasing to be around joyful people versus miserable people, and joyful people are a better representative of God’s love.
When we are following Jesus and submitting to the Holy Spirit, then joy will overflow in our lives.
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) explains, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”
A long-lasting and consistent joy that radiates is ultimately found because of God’s Spirit within us. Jesus tells us that when we abide in Him, stay connected to the Source, and obey His commands, then we will bear much fruit.
He says, “I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing” (John 15:11 – AMP).
Today, if we’re lacking joy, let’s walk in the Spirit that produces it...instead of allowing the disappointments to sap it from us.
I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I desire to live in the Spirit and bear fruit. Experiencing joy found in You is so rewarding and I pray I’d remain joyful even during hardships. I know lasting joy comes from You. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What is stealing your joy right now and how can your perspective change?
What causes you to be joyful?
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