Church Directory

There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playing in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his teammates on the one hand and distract the Milwaukee batters on the other. As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, “Henry, you’re holding the bat wrong. You’re supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark.” Aaron didn’t say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, “I didn’t come up here to read.”*

Our rival knows that, in order to defeat us, he’s got to distract us from our true purpose in life. Anything to keep us from the things that really matter. As Billy Sunday once said, “More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.” But we can choose to keep our eyes on the prize. God’s purpose for us is to live for Jesus Christ.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

That’s your purpose! To belong to God! Why? So that you can live a life of joy and peace and so that more people will know how good God really is! What higher purpose could there be?

So tune out the sights, smells and sounds of distraction. Tune in to the only voice that matters. The One that called you His.

*J. M. Boice, Learning to Lead, 38. Revell, 1990.