“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.”
Jackie Robinson

Today is Jackie Robinson Day. It’s a day recognized by Major League baseball, paying tribute to the day Robinson first appeared in professional baseball and forever impacted the game and our lives.

As I looked for a Robinson quote to share, the words above by Robinson gave me pause, as they connected with others that I had been going to share…

“Everyone should write a book. Why? Because it’s hard. And everyone should do something hard at some point in their life. That’s what shapes our character and makes us appreciate the things worth doing.”
–Jeff Goins

Being a child of God is not a spectator sport. Christ did not say, “Watch, as I go and make disciples.” I can sit at a distance and watch and listen to others do amazing things to bring glory to God. Or I can get out of the grandstand and be a part of God’s work. My life seems peppered with times when I was “in the game”, and when I look back on those I can see how powerful and invigorating those times were.

Christ came that I might have an abundant life, but the abundance comes by being in the game–rolling up my sleeves, putting on my big boy pants and getting in the mix. The abundance does not often come all pretty, wrapped with a bow. Often times the abundance comes with questions, and ridicule and persecution as we set out about His work. But every good thing is worth fighting for, and we are to stand up for Christ. If I don’t get in the game of winning souls for God, how should I expect others to?