God's Coaching #66

God's Coaching #66

“I bet on baseball.” Those words shook the sports world when Pete Rose said them in 2004. In an illustrious 24-year Major League Baseball career, Pete made a name for himself as “Charlie Hustle”—the player who never quit. By the time he retired in 1986, he was baseball’s all-time hit king, having surpassed the legendary Ty Cobb, with 4,256 career base hits. In his final three seasons, Pete was a player-manager for the Cincinnati Reds and then took over as full-time manager in 1987 for another three seasons.

But in 1989, he was banned from baseball for life after an investigation revealed that he had wagered money on the sport—a serious breach of baseball’s rule book—while managing the Reds. Pete denied the charges for nearly 15 years before finally admitting in 2004 to betting on baseball as the Reds’ manager in 1987 and 1988. In other words, he spent about 15 years lying.

What’s the Score?

Before we shake our heads in disgust at Pete, let’s be honest: all of us have lied. It comes naturally to us because of our sinful nature. This is a serious problem. God specifically forbids lying in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:16) and throughout Scripture. Lying, in fact, started with Satan himself in the Garden of Eden. God had created a perfect world for the first humans, Adam and Eve. He gave them only one rule: they were not allowed to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God said they would die if they did. But Satan, disguised as a serpent, lied to Eve: “You won’t die!” he said. Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie, ate the fruit, and brought sin and death into the world.

Lying is a terrible sin in God’s sight. It is deceitful and has its origins with God’s enemy. In John 8:44, Jesus called Satan the “father of lies.” Jesus, on the other hand, is described as “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Our lives must be marked by truth, both in our actions and our words. There is no such thing as a “little white lie” or a “half-truth.” A half-truth is really a whole lie. As Zechariah 8:16 commands us, “Tell the truth to each other.”

On the Ball

Identify any areas in your life in which you are tempted to lie, and ask your parents to help you tell the truth.

Coach’s Comment

This is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Zechariah 8:16