I love to watch my son play baseball. For him, it’s a great joy to play a game he loves. It’s fun, not work. He loves to be around his buddies and simply play. Some of his happiest moments have come through simply playing a pickup game with friends in our church gym.
That’s one of the many reasons I thank God for baseball. You may find that unbiblical or sacrilegious. But, I really do thank God for baseball. It’s a game that has brought fun, laughter, camaraderie, and family bonds to my life.
Proverbs 17:22–“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”
Why not thank God for the things he uses to bring joy to your life? Don’t we need more of them? Don’t we need to step back and appreciate the things, even things like baseball, that God gives us for enjoyment? What if those things truly are gifts from God?
Of course, true joy stems only from an ongoing relationship with the author and source of joy–Jesus Christ. It’s from that center, however, that we come to see God’s gifts of enjoyment, like baseball for me.
Don’t apologize for enjoying the game. Thank God for it. Honor him through it. Feel his presence in it. Use the game for his glory. And by all means, have fun. It’s good for your soul.
Lord Jesus, thanks for things like baseball. Help me to view it as a gift from you to enjoy. I know it can’t be the foundation of my joy, but thanks for how it brings fun to my life. Amen.
