By and large, spring training in Major League Baseball is an anticlimactic event. Most teams already have a pretty good feel for which players will be included on their Major League roster before the start of spring training, so there's often little drama regarding roster inclusions. But there has been additional intrigue in this year’s edition of spring training, as Major League Baseball is implementing a series of new rules intended to speed up the pace of play. With these new rules in place, both pitchers and hitters alike can now be penalized for slowing down the pace of play. A newly-implemented pitch clock or pitch timer will ensure that players from both sides are prepared to promptly keep the game moving. Through the first 35 spring training games, there were already 69 pitch-timer violations, as some players seemed to have difficulty getting used to moving with a greater sense of urgency. When asked about the rule changes, Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais said, “You can’t keep playing the same game that they played in the 1940s and 1950s. It evolves. We have to evolve with it. The players will adjust.” As the regular season inches closer, there's no doubt that much of a team’s success for the upcoming year will be predicated upon how the players adjust to the new style of play. Teams that can adjust to the new environment will have a competitive advantage over those that fail to do so. When it comes to living as followers of Jesus, I find it equally important that we can adapt to different situations, people, and environments as we look to minister to those around us. At the same time, we must embrace the “pitch clock” and act with a greater sense of urgency. While we never want to compromise our convictions or do anything that would cause us to act sinfully, we must recognize how we can make the proper adjustments to be more effective with our gospel witness. Practically speaking, that could mean befriending people we wouldn’t normally associate with but finding ways to build a rapport with them. Or, it could be participating in events outside of our regular operating system so we can meet people where they are comfortable. The gospel message doesn’t change, but maybe it means that we have to alter the way we communicate and conduct ourselves so we can adapt to the “rules” of the people around us. The Apostle Paul modeled this sort of adaptability for the sake of others in his own ministry. In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (ESV), Paul wrote, “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. "To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” The Living Bible translates 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 this way, “When I am with those whose consciences bother them easily, I don’t act as though I know it all and don’t say they are foolish; the result is that they are willing to let me help them. Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ.” Again, this does not mean that we embrace the value system of the world to win those in the world. Our ultimate loyalty is to God alone. But within our daily lives, there are opportunities for us to change our conduct and speech in non-sinful ways that help us to better connect and relate with those who desperately need to know of the love of Christ that has been so wonderfully demonstrated in the gospel. It may be uncomfortable for us to talk about things we don’t usually enjoy talking about or make decisions contrary to the ones we would make if we were alone, but God has called us to be more concerned about the well-being of those around us than we are about our comfort and preferences. Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Today, let’s resolve to humbly consider how we might best adapt to our circumstances to better reach people with the gospel, trusting that God will use our efforts to produce fruit for His glory. I’m Matt Osborne and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me to be aware of how I can better minister to the people around me. Please give me the humility to consider the needs and desires of others more than I care about my own. Thank you for giving me the strength to put others ahead of myself. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. Have you ever had an experience where adapting your lifestyle helped you to better reach someone else for God?
2. What are some practical steps you can take to better minister to the people around you in your daily life?
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