Dugout Devotions | Love One Another
Loving one another because God first loved you
Many families, mine included, are navigating Sunday morning church and sports commitments. Sunday morning youth sports are up for debate in and out of the church pre-COVID. Still, once the Sunday morning timeslot that the Church held was paused because it was not safe to gather in person, the door was opened for other activities and commitments (namely youth sports) to take center stage. And now, as we return to life as it was before COVID-19, this question has hit my household.
As a pastor, the last thing I want is for my children to look back and resent the Church because they were not able to do the kid things they wanted to do because of their dad’s calling. At the same time, I want my children to learn the faith they have been baptized into. I want them to know stories in the bible other than Noah’s Ark and Daniel in Lion’s Den. I want them to learn about and experience God’s amazing grace.
As the parent of a travel baseball player and as a travel baseball coach, I get it. Field space is limited, but kids enjoy playing sports, and there is a community to be made within these teams and leagues.
I want to share what I am dubbing “Dugout Devotions” for families navigating this same dilemma. I hope this will let you know that you are not navigating this alone and that you and your children can have a rich life of faith between the foul lines and in your church’s sanctuary.
Read Galatians 3:23-29 and John 15:9-17
The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church in Galatia because the church was divided. Teachers (false preachers) were dividing the church. These false teachers told certain people they had to do certain things before the church and God would accept them. This is an overly simplified explanation of what was happening, but the point is that people were being kept out of the church and told they were not “enough” because they were not doing certain things other people were telling them to do.
What we need to know about Paul is that before Paul was writing letters to churches, he tried to stop the church. Paul was riding a horse, going to Damascus to persecute people in that city who were followers of Jesus. While he was on the Road to Damascus, Jesus knocked Paul off his horse, and Paul needed to be cared for by the very people he wanted to hurt.
Because Paul experienced God’s grace and because Christ transformed his life, he became an evangelist for the church.
Paul’s point to the Galatian church is that because of Jesus, it does not matter if you do all the things church people tell you to do. God loves us before we step into a church, even when we do not do all the churchy stuff church people tell us to do, even when we make a mistake.
God loves all of us and has drawn all people to God. We need not earn this love, and we cannot undo what Jesus has done for us. Jesus has lifted the expectations others place on us and replaced the weight of those expectations with love.
Jesus told his disciples to love him and always place God’s love at the center of everything they do. They should love others because of who they are, not because of what they do. They should love one another because of who they are and not because of what they have not done. They should love others because God first loved us.
God is not concerned with the expectations other people have for us. God is not worried about how well you can turn a double-play. God is not worried about your grades. And God is not worried about your homework.
Before you have to worry about doing all of the things you do perfectly, know who you are right now; God loves you just as you are. And because God loves us, we are all one family—not because we are perfect people or a perfect church but because God loves us.
Ask your kids a few of the following family reflection questions:
Have you ever felt like you weren’t “enough” because of something someone else said or did? How did it make you feel?
What do you think it means to be accepted by God? Is it based on what we do, or is it something else?
Paul’s life changed dramatically after encountering Jesus. Can you think of a time when something or someone changed your perspective or your life?
Why do you think Jesus told his disciples to love others because of who they are, not because of what they do? How can we practice this kind of love in our daily lives?
Sometimes, we feel pressure to meet certain expectations from others. How can we remember that God loves us just as we help us deal with those pressures?
Do you think it’s important to love others even when they make mistakes? Why or why not?
How can we show God’s love to others in our families, schools, and communities?
Take a moment to think about something you’re thankful for today. How does God’s love make that thing even more special?
Invite your children to pray with you, repeating after you (or you can invite your children to pray for your family).
Dear God, thank you for loving me. Thank you for loving me as I am right now, and thank you for loving the me I will be in five minutes. Help me shine your love in everything I do. We’ll talk to you later. Amen.
Love this!