Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord.
- Romans 12:11
At my son’s weekly baseball practice, the coach always starts with the same drill, a “diamond run” around the bases. The drill ends, as you might imagine, with the players running back to home plate from third base—once you touch home, you’re done with the drill and you get to the back of the line.
Inevitably, Andrew always ends the drill the same way—while simply stepping on home plate would satisfy the coach, he insists on sliding every time. I always know 10 minutes into practice that his uniform will need to be washed, because he ends every diamond drill with a cloud of dust. His enthusiasm just can’t be contained.
Even as adults, there are times when we feel that same kind of excitement, such that we just can’t contain ourselves—go to a sports bar on a Sunday afternoon if you don’t believe me. Grown-ups can be enthusiastic too, and sometimes we set aside our polite restraint in the name of passion.
The Bible calls us to that same kind of enthusiasm about our faith. While culturally the church often aims for dignity and decorum, there ought to also be room for unfiltered joy. Jesus has given us salvation in him, the promise of eternal life, the hope of glory. You have reason to celebrate, reason to praise—so don’t muzzle yourself!
It’s
fine to just step on home plate every now and then; the run still counts the same.
But you should see the smiles all around when you slide.
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