Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

Hitting .300

Attention non-baseball fans: you can still read this post! There is a point that is bigger than baseball.  (And if you are one of those non-baseball fans, contact me sometime.  I'd like to convert you.)

The Reds' season is a wash. Once agian, they have missed the playoffs. This will be their ninth straight losing season. (Could be worse…this is the Pittsburgh Pirates' 17th straight losing season!)  None of the games make a dime's worth of difference anymore.

But one player on the team still has the potential to end the season on a high note.  Joey Votto is positioned to end the season with a batting average over .300. A .300 average has long been a benchmark of a great offensive season.  If Votto hits .300 this year, he'll be the first Red to do so since Sean Casey hit .312 and Ken Griffey Jr. hit .301, both in the 2005 season.

But here's the beauty of all this…Votto doesn't seem to care. He said in a recent interview, "There is a pride thing that goes along with hitting .300.  But I really did my best this year to try not to pay attention to my average because it fluctuates so much that it is pointless."

"I take a lot of pride in driving in runs, and I want to get on base as much as possible and score a lot, do what I can to help create runs, which helps the team win."

Joey Votto would gladly trade a .300 batting average for a winning season and a playoff run.  The individual stat doesn't matter as much as the team.

That's the kind of player you want on your team.  You want a guy who is more concerned about "we" than "me."

The church needs more of these people on our team.  Instead of worrying about what's good for me…what I like and don't like…the church should be filled with people who are willing to sacrifice "me" for the sake of "we."

Some good questions we should all ask ourselves…

Am I willing to sacrifice my comfort for the sake of others?

Am I ok with serving in secret? Do I need to get credit for what I do?

Am I consumed with God's glory or my glory?

It's not you.  It's not about me. It's all about Jesus and His church.  There is no room for individual superstars.