“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

It’s been statistically proven that out of the 162 Major League baseball games that make up a full season of play, every team will win at least 60 games and lose at least 60 games. In other words, the worst team will still manage to win 60 games, and the best team will still manage to lose 60. It’s what happens with the other 42 that makes or breaks a season. It’s an interesting way to think about a baseball season and another reason why I think baseball is a lot like life.

Winning teams experience a lot of losses. Losing teams experience a significant amount of wins. For 120 games out of 162, everybody looks the same. That’s almost 75% of the season. It’s what happens with the remaining 25% that makes the difference between a champion and a cellar-dweller.

Life is all about ups and downs. We’re all going to have good days and bad days. Winners don’t win all the time; losers don’t lose all the time. In fact, most of the time, it’s hard to tell the difference. You can’t make one’s experience the judge of everything. Pretty much all of sports tells us that winning is only a slight edge.

So what’s the point of this for us? Experience isn’t everything. If you’re having a hard day, be patient, things are about to change. If you are cruising on top of things, enjoy it, because things are about to change. Change is the one constant for all of us, and those who are best prepared for it will have the best experience. If you expect things to always go well and get upset when they don’t, you’re in for making tough times tougher. If you are simply grateful for what each day brings, you will fare much better in the long run.

Paul revealed the secret for making it through his “season” of life. “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13).

It is a way to live that evens out the wins and the losses. It even leaves the wins and losses up to God. Don’t you remember that coach who taught you as a kid that it’s not all about winning or losing, but how you play the game that counts?

Question: How do you measure the “wins” and “loses” in your life?

About this Author: John Fischer

The last minute of a basketball game can seem like an eternity, as each team calls time outs to make last second adjustments. Everyone knows that the end of the game is near and sometimes that one last second play is the difference between winning and losing.

Life is like that, only we usually don’t have a time certain clock, but we know that this game of life will end someday and the question is what last adjustments would we make if we knew that our mortal end was near.

Our church has been working through an “all church book.” It has been preached from the pulpit, studied in Bible fellowship classes and hopefully been read by every member of the church. The title is One Month to Live.

Recently, as I was on day 24, I took it with me to read while waiting for my annual stress test. Needless to say, a book with a title like that in a cardiologist’s waiting room can get more than a casual glance or comment. Maybe people were thinking that I was worse off than I looked.

When I went into the exam room and placed the book on a table, the young lady prepping me said, “I thought you were in here for a routine test.” I explained the book and used it to share the Gospel with her.

But, what if you had just thirty days to live, what would you do different? How would your priorities change? Reading this book gave me a lot to think about and more importantly gave me scripture that paints a roadmap of how we as Christians should live our lives, not just in the last days, but throughout life’s journey.

We should live passionately, completely, humbly and boldly. Death is a universal experience of life. As a lawyer, I have had many clients come into my office to write a will and say, “if I die,” to which I respond that it’s not “if” but when. Everyone dies, but not everyone really lives, at least not in the way God created us to live.

The Bible tells us to live our lives in such a way that when the final months or days appear over the horizon, we would have no adjustments to make, but just continue living the way we have been all along. If there is something in your life that does not reflect a Biblical lifestyle? Change now and don’t wait until the game is almost over.   ( a thought on life from John Grant )

Questions: Is there is something in your life that does not reflect a Biblical lifestyle? What will be your first step to make a change?

About the Author John Grant

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Stay Near to God, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

“Dear young friends, you belong to God and have already won your fight with those who are against Christ, because there is someone in your hearts who is stronger than any evil teacher in this wicked world” 1 John 4:4

“I am afraid of Satan,” a young minister once told me.

“You should be afraid of Satan,” I responded, “if you insist on controlling your own life. But not if you are willing to let Christ control your life. The Bible says, ‘Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.’”

My friend lived in a city where one of the largest zoos in the world was located.

“What do you do with lions in your city?” I asked.

“We keep them in cages,” he replied.

“You can visit the lion in its cage at the zoo,” I explained, “and it cannot hurt you, even if you are close to the cage. But stay out of that cage, or the lion will make mincemeat out of you.”

Satan is in a “cage.” He was defeated 2,000 years ago when Christ died on the cross for our sins. Victory is now ours. We do not look forward to victory, but we move from victory, the victory of the cross.

Satan has no power except that which God allows him to have. Do not be afraid of him, but do stay away from him. Avoid his every effort to tempt and mislead you. Remember, that choice is up to you.

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:1-6

Today’s Action Point: I will with God’s help, stay out of Satan’s “cage,” choosing rather to enlist God’s indwelling Holy Spirit to fight for me in the supernatural battle against the satanic forces which surround me.

About this Author: Bill Bright

Is success merely a matter of increasing in leadership?
Read Barb’s story of when success simply wasn’t enough.