In our lives, especially our spiritual lives, we become content, complacent, and let the ball pass us by out of fear that we might strike out.  That was never what God intended.  When Jesus tells us the parable of the servants in Matthew 25, he refers to the one who hid the money as “wicked” and “lazy”.  We walk away having watched three pitches pass us by without moving, when just swinging the bat was our only real option.  We try to wait for that perfect ministry opportunity, or for someone else to lead the Bible study we would like to attend, but it never happens. It never happens because it was our turn at bat, and we never swung. 

 We often strike out because we were scared to swing the bat.  Much like the youth baseball player who hesitates to swing the bat because they got chided by a parent for striking out previously, we revert back to that safe space of hesitancy, complacency, waiting for a “walk”, allowing us to advance the runners without ever risking a miss.  

The problem with that mentality is that a walk has a limit to how far it can advance the runners.  One base. No more, no less.  But if we swing the bat in our lives, we have the potential to hit a home run.  

So just swing the bat.  The worst that can happen is you strike out and get to bat again.  But go down swinging, having tried, not just watching the ball pass you by. Besides, when you swing the bat, God will make sure it connects in a way that He wants it to, so swing with confidence, but don’t be that lazy servant.