Fear, Life and Baseball

I just finished reading R. A. Dickey's book, "Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball."  Being a baseball fan, familiar with R. A. Dickey from his time pitching for the Minnesota Twins, and knowing he was a Christian, I was anxious to read his story.  It was a good book, and I wasn't disappointed.  The best part though, was reading how chronic fear dominated his life, and how his faith interacted with that fear.

I can't imagine anything so challenging as dealing with anxiety in a very public way, as he did.  Any failures he had were out there for everyone to see, and trying to learn to forgive himself for any shortcomings seem almost impossible when there are booing fans, critical sports writers, and other players standing in line for his job.

For a long time, R. A. Dickey took the mound already on the defensive - with a prayer that everything would go okay, and that he wouldn't get "beat up" out there.  He was going about his business from a place of fear, hoping for enough blessing to get by, and chastising himself whenever it didn't happen.   His journey took the better part of ten years, but the story is enlightening.  And there was a lot of wisdom in the book pertaining to more than baseball.

First, sometimes trying harder is not the answer.  I think it goes without saying that life requires effort, and skills need to be practiced and developed.  But after a certain point, it's going to have the opposite effect in that it takes away from the joy and satisfaction you should be experiencing in what you're doing.

Second, concentrate on controlling what you can control.  We can't always dictate the outcome of our efforts, but we can make doing our best, and being "completely in" whatever we do, our goal.  And in that, we can succeed.  Do the very best you can, enjoy it to the fullest, and leave the outcome to God.

Thirdly, and I think most importantly, is that fear knocks on everyone's door.  As with most uninvited guests, if we open that door, let it in, and make it feel at home, it'll be back frequently.    Dickey uses the analogy of birds of prey circling overhead - we see them, we can acknowledge their presence, but we don't need to let them build a nest.

There's a lot more to this book than the little bit I've touched on here, and it's a great story.  Seeing how Dickey's faith increases and unfolds, as well as seeing him, warts and all just like the rest of us, is inspiring.  This is one book I may read twice.

A Bold Faith

As Jesus began his ministry, hoards of people flocked to him.  One, a leper, said “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.”  This was not a question, it was a statement of fact.  The man believed it.  There’s no element of doubt in his words.

At Capernaum, the Roman officer with the sick servant did even better than that.  When Jesus offered to go to the servant, the officer said, “Just give the order, and my servant will get well.”  He knew Jesus didn’t even have to be there. Furthermore, once Jesus pronounced the servant healed, the officer had no proof that it had in fact happened, but he went on his way in complete confidence nonetheless.

What is this mysterious element called Faith?  Why do some people have it, and some not?  Why do some of us have faith, but not a bold confidence in that faith?  The leper and the Roman officer were not simply *hoping* that Jesus could do the job.  They KNEW it.

We need a confident faith.  Not just the theoretical confidence that we have in our heads when we think about our beliefs, but the confidence that keeps our chins up and and feet steady on a day-to-day basis, regardless of our circumstances.  A faith that serves us “where the rubber meets the road.”

Thank God He is worthy of that kind of faith.

from Mark, Chapter 8, Good News Bible.

A few observations on Faith

What happens when you have faith:


1) God takes care of your needs.


Matthew 6:30
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?


2) Your faith will heal your body and soul


Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.

Acts 3:16
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

Matthew 9:28-30
When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored.


Luke 18:42
Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."

Mark 10:51-52
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.


3) You'll be a blessing to others


Matthew 15:28
Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 8:5-8, 10, 13
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.




4) You'll do great things.


Matthew 17:20
" I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 21:21
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.

John 14:12
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.


5) You'll be right with God.


Matthew 9:2
Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

Mark 2:5
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Acts 15:9
He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

Luke 5:20
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

Luke 7:50
Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."


What happens when you DON'T have faith?


1) You'll be afraid.


Matthew 8:26
He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

Matthew 14
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

Mark 4:40
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"


2) You'll doubt.

Matthew 16:8-10
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?




3) It holds you back.

Mark 6:4-6
Jesus said to them, "Prophets are respected everywhere except in their own hometown and by their relatives and their family."  
He was not able to perform any miracles there, except that he placed his hands on a few sick people and healed them.  He was greatly surprised, because the people did not have faith.