Winners and Potential Winners

I just finished watching the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels, winning the American League
Championship and moving them on to the World Series. It was exciting, it was historical on many levels, and it was a case of the best team winning. I will cheer for them to beat whichever team survives the National League playoffs.
Cheers for the Sox will be heard from Chicago to Manager Ozzie Guillen’s home country of Venezuela.
Part of what I love about baseball, besides seeing the action on the field, is to see the fans cheering their teams, crying for their teams, emotionally involved in the game. They take pride in their team doing well,
suffer (Hello Cubs fans!) when their team doesn’t, look forward in anticipation to the next game, or next year. (Hello fellow Atlanta Braves fans!)
Winners in life win the prize. Christians, those who have accepted Christ, have won the greatest prize possible-a redeemed relationship with our Creator. One that lasts through Eternity. Cool.
What’s funny, and how Christianity differs from baseball: Ozzie Guillen isn’t interested in asking the LA Angels to join his team. The Chicago White Sox see the Angels as foes to be vanquished, impediments to their winning the prize. Christians love for people to hear the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ. We are winners who want everyone to join our club, become winners with us. Why? Because we know how wonderful the prize is, and that it is within the reach of every heart. When someone accepts Christ, as happened for two young men in our church a few weeks ago, we rejoice, are happy for them, cheering them on from the stands, so to speak. They are winners. They are part of our team. They will join us in welcoming the next ones who decide to trust Jesus Christ with their lives. Praise God and Play Ball!