God's Coaching #116

God's Coaching #116

It should have been a season of enjoyment and elation. Instead, it was one of exhaustion and anxiety. Today in 1961, New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris hit the first of 61 home runs, which broke the single-season record of beloved Yankees icon Babe Ruth. For 34 years, Babe’s 60 home runs in 1927 were the most hallowed record in Major League Baseball. As the 1961 season continued, it became clear that many New York fans and sportswriters did not want to see Roger break the record. He was a New York outsider—a quiet Midwesterner who had come to the noisy Big Apple from the Kansas City Athletics. The public wanted to see the record broken by superstar Mickey Mantle, who spent his whole 18-year Hall of Fame career in New York.

Mickey’s and Roger’s race for the record took a severe toll on Roger. Reporters hounded him, and fans booed him while cheering for Mickey. Roger even received letters that threatened him and his family. The pressure became so great that Roger lost some of his hair and didn’t eat much. In the last two weeks of the season, he twice asked Yankees manager Ralph Houk for a day off. In the end, though, Roger did it. While Mickey suffered a hip injury in September and finished with 54 homers, Roger hit number 61 in the final game of the season.

What’s the Score?

In his greatest season, Roger dealt with crippling anxiety. After retiring, he once said of his New York celebrity, “All it brought me was headaches.” Have you ever felt anxious or worried about something? Of course you have. It’s a natural human response to problems. But the Bible tells us not to be anxious.

First Peter 5:7 says to cast all our anxiety on God. That leaves no room for us to hold on to any—not even a smidgen. If we do, it’s basically telling God that he’s not good, wise, or strong enough to help us, or that we think we can solve our problems better than he can. And both of those assumptions are untrue. No matter what you are facing, cast all your cares on God through prayer and trust. He loves you and wants to help!

On the Ball

A great way to cast anxiety on God is to pray something like this: “God, I’m concerned about (insert problem here). But I know you care about me. Please help me trust in you and make it through this difficult situation.”

Coach’s Comment

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)