Peace in Purpose

The Bible reinforces the notion that we are known by God, and that He desires for us to come to know 
Him and reflect His glory. There is a passage in 2nd Timothy 1 that begins with a rather familiar verse:
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began...

Knowing that we belong to Christ can bring a sense of peace, recognizing that He lives in our hearts and that He desires to work to bring us more in conformity to His will.  He has called us into a relationship with Himself, and He offers, according to Philippians chapter 4, a peace that passes all understanding - the result of a deep trust in Him to hear and answer our prayers.  Our confidence in the Lord flows from our deep commitment to know and obey Him.

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In Psalm 138, we find a reminder of God's hand on our lives, working in us so that we might know His peace and fulfill His purpose for us. We can read this:
6 Though the Lord is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Well, certainly, there has been an incredible amount of attention placed on the yet-to-be-decided election, and the weekend's coming.  It will be a wonderful time for Christians to attend our house of worship and perhaps refocus on what God says is truly most important in our lives, and that is our relationship with Him.

And, there will be opportunities to view sporting activities, as well. I'm not sure how to prove this, but the escape of sports was missing during those few months at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, which was probably not good for the American psyche. And, when major league sports did return, there were reports of lower ratings, which some have attributed to the mix of sports and politics that was present.  If people view sports as a source of "escape," reminders of tension and conflict in the world perhaps did not set well with fans.

Major League Baseball played an abbreviated schedule throughout the summer in empty stadiums, and the bulk of its playoff slate was in empty stadiums.  Finally, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series - Movieguide published some recent stories of faith elements present during the October Classic.

One story featured the manager of the Dodgers, Dave Roberts.  The story relates that Roberts, in his fifth season, led the Dodgers to their first World Series title since 1988.  The article says:

Before the start of the 2019 season, Roberts sat down with Scott Rae, a professor with the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, in Los Angeles, to discuss his faith in God.

“My faith has impacted the clubhouse because I live my life a certain way,” Roberts told Rae, the “Think Biblically” host. “There’s no question that I’m a believer. I can quite honestly say I live that the way I should, and I’m bold about that. But I am respectful of the profession and the job that guys have to do. So there’s a couple layers: number one, people knowing who I am inside and out, and I am consistent with that, and being open to listening and leading and trying to do things the right way. I think that people see Christ through me, and that’s sort of what we want to create in the clubhouse.”

Roberts related how his relationship with Christ affects his state of mind: "...at the end of the day, I feel that if I live my life and prepare the way and compete the way that Christ wants me to compete, I’ll live with any result.”  He elaborated by saying: "I do feel that I’m here for a greater purpose, and I do have a platform to share my faith and to make the men around me better people and see Christ in me. If their time comes that they get to know the Lord, great. I do have a job to do, and that’s that I work for the Dodgers. But I think that it gives me a really good peace where I have anxiety or stress, frustration, and I put it on God. I really do.”

The story also focused on Dodger great Clayton Kershaw, who has been known for His Christian faith and charitable work.

In the other dugout, a young man was making headlines by his post-season performance.  According to another Movieguide article, the Rays' Randy Arozarena, who broke Barry Bonds' rookie postseason home run record and Derek Jeter's postseason rookie hit record, made a strong statement in his second year, after starting the year with COVID-19.  Like Roberts, Arozarena has stated that he believes that God has a purpose for him.  The article relates:

Arozarena is candid about his faith on social media.

After the Rays’ win against the Yankees, clinching the team’s berth in the ALCS, Arozarena posted an image on Instagram with a caption that read, “God is great,” translated from Spanish.

Arozarena has captions on Instagram like, “If God has me here, it’s for a purpose,” and, “God makes everything possible.”

Arozarena also mentioned the peace of God activated in his life, relating that after joining the Rays from St. Louis: “Ever since I got traded over, it has been a very close-knit, family-like environment, and I felt very comfortable,” adding, “As far as the baseball side of things, I just let it be in God’s hands. I feel very relaxed.” The article reports that a movie is in the works about Randy's life.

Two men - one who has ended his playing career and who is in a managerial season now, and the other who is apparently just getting started - have both been speaking out about their faith.  When there is so much in this world to be anxious or disturbed about - COVID, the economy, tension in human relationships, and the election - we can continue to look for inspiring stories, and these instances from the world of sports can certainly motivate us to draw near to Christ and to prioritize our relationship with Him.  They both can also remind us to seek to walk in God's peace.

As Roberts and Arozarena remind us, God has a purpose for each of us. We are here because He wants us to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and then, by His power, testify to the work of God in us. Our lives in Christ can transcend the turmoil and trial of the world, and our faith enables us to live an overcoming life.