REPOST Today’s AMI Quiet Time Devotional, first posted on March 24, 2018, is provided by Pastor Ryun Chang.
Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend
“Where Jesus Differs from a Baseball Announcer”
Phil. 2:6
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
Trevor Hoffman, who played in Major League Baseball for 18 years, primarily with the San Diego Padres, was an incredible relief pitcher who saved more than 600 games. In 1998, Hoffman was at his best, with a near-perfect save percentage of 98%. So it was long overdue that he was finally elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year.
Ironically, 1998—the year of his dominance—was also the year the world witnessed his imperfection. In the World Series, pitching to Yankees player Scott Brosius—a hitter who had struggled that season with a batting average around .200—Hoffman gave up a home run that ultimately won the game for New York.
A commentator later analyzed Hoffman’s failure, saying: “Hoffman should have started the inning instead of entering the game with a runner already on first base. Relievers don’t mind cleaning up their own messes, but not someone else’s.” That statement stunned me. You see, in the 1970s and 1980s, top relief pitchers were frequently brought into high-risk situations—runners on base, close games—to bail their teams out of potentially disastrous innings. That’s why they were called “Top Firemen”—they were tasked with “putting out the fire.”
Upon hearing that remark, I was reminded of my college roommate from years ago. At the time, six of us lived in a cramped two-bedroom apartment, meaning dirty dishes often piled up in the sink. One Sunday night, I told my roommate it was his turn to do the dishes. (I was frustrated—I had been doing them all the time!) There were enough dirty dishes and pots to take at least 15-20 minutes to wash, yet my roommate returned to our room just a few minutes later. I asked, “Done already?” He gleefully responded, “Yes.” Feeling skeptical, I went to the kitchen to check. The first thing I saw was a stack of still-dirty dishes. It quickly became clear—he had only washed the dishes he personally used that week. He had probably spent more time identifying his dishes than actually cleaning them.
But isn’t this the same philosophy as that commentator’s baseball analysis? “I don’t mind cleaning up my own mess, but I won’t clean up someone else’s.”
If Christ had that mindset, we would all be heading to hell.
People, don’t be selfish! Clean up someone else’s mess, too. Paul teaches 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 others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
So “have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. Though He was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God as something to be grasped. Instead, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).
Prayer: Dear God, change my perspective so that nothing seems too messy or inconvenient for me to lend a hand, especially if it means helping someone know the love of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 22-23