God's Coaching #113

God's Coaching #113

Imagine if your last name were fruity. Natalie Nectarine. Walter Watermelon. Janna Banana. Harry Blueberry. Life wouldn’t be easy. You’d be on the wrong end of plenty of jokes. But no one was laughing at Darryl Strawberry in the 1980s.

Darryl, the New York Mets’ No. 1 overall draft pick in 1980, rocketed to stardom thanks to a beautiful left-handed swing that sent baseballs soaring. With the 1983 National League Rookie of the Year Award, a World Series title, eight All-Star appearances, and 280 home runs in his first nine seasons, Strawberry appeared destined for the Hall of Fame. But injuries, a bout with colon cancer, and terrible personal choices derailed his career. Darryl was arrested for drug possession. He also abused alcohol and pled guilty to tax evasion. He spent time in baseball suspension, rehab centers, and prison. During his final eight seasons, he bounced between the Dodgers, the Giants, and the Yankees and rarely displayed the mesmerizing power and abilities he had shown in the 1980s. In 1999, his final season, he had only three home runs and six RBIs in 24 games with the Yankees.

What’s the Score?

Sadly, Darryl Strawberry’s life was characterized by bad choices and sinful behavior. What should a Christian’s life be characterized by? Well, fruit actually. But not a juicy selection from the grocery produce aisle or a delicious-sounding last name. No, look for the fruit found in Galatians 5:22-23: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

If you’ve ever wondered how a Christian is supposed to act—there it is! This “fruit” is the mark of true believers in Jesus Christ. When we put our faith in Christ, God’s Holy Spirit enters our hearts and starts making us more like him. He starts replacing hate with love, sorrow with joy, cruelty with kindness. This transformation doesn’t happen all at once. Even as Christians, we still struggle with sin. But the fruit of the Spirit should continually become more evident in our lives as time goes on. And that’s just peachy!

On the Ball

Using a scale of one to nine (one being the best), rank the fruit of the Spirit in your life, from what you’re best at (by God’s grace) to what you need the most help with. Ask your parents to do the same for you, and compare rankings. Thank God for your strengths, and ask him for help in your weaknesses.

Coach’s Comment

The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23