I refer to my hometown as a small community, though some people may refer to it as podunk, but hey, we do have one stop sign! Actually, our small town in Texas looks like it’s straight out of an old Norman Rockwell painting. Most of the people here have lived here their whole life, their families have been in the same place for generations, and most likely, all their relatives live on the same street. Needless to say, it’s a pretty tight community.

Life in baseball is also a really unique community. During the season you have the opportunity to grow closer to guys than you normally would, even more so than in a small town. In baseball you do everything with your teammates—eating, traveling, competing, and even showering. Just like there’s nothing that you can hide from your family, there’s nothing that gets by your teammates. They become your family, they see you at your best and at your worst. You may be able to put up a good front for the media but you can’t keep that up for those who are with you 24/7.

These men—the people who are the closest to you—are the ones who hold you accountable and vice versa. They also are the ones who can give you a word of encouragement just when you need it, they know you well enough to speak truth into your life. Usually you will connect on this deeper level with about three or four guys on your team. This is the perfect example of true fellowship; the way Jesus designed community to be.

While this type of community is forced upon you in baseball, it’s also important to find it outside of the game. I currently have a handful of guys who I have a similar relationship with, men who I connect and grow with on a consistent basis. Even Jesus had this type of community. He had His disciples but then He had His inner three: Peter, James, and John. Jesus intentionally poured into these three men with whom He had deep, authentic relationships. When He left, He left them with a greater purpose and mission, which they were intent on completing.

God wants us to find community with people who are like-minded and close in proximity to us so that we can grow close to each other and Him. These are the people who will be your biggest fans, cheering you on when you do well and rooting for you when you’re down. It’s cool to have fans out in a crowd, shouting your name, but when you have your inner circle cheering for you on an everyday basis—those who are behind you for life—that’s really meaningful.

God calls us to live in community with others and challenge each other to grow closer to Him. One day God may ask us, “What did you do with those who I entrusted to your care?” Will we be ready to answer that? Often we think of stewardship as being responsible with the money and materials we have been given, but relationships are vital to accomplishing the Great Commission.

“I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your Word.” —John 17:6

In baseball it’s easy to feel like you have to put a wall up all the time. You may frequently ask the question, “What does this person really want from me?” You may even have two phones, one with a number you give out to those who need you and one you give out to those who you actually want to talk to. But true and deep community comes when you let people inside those walls, people who you can trust and who you can speak the truth to in love. When it comes down to it, relationships can be hard work and you might even need to confront someone once in a while. But I know that those who take the time to lovingly confront me are the ones who really care about me. It takes tough love to say something to someone who might have a hard time accepting it, but I know that I can count on the person who is able and willing to go the extra mile and speak truth into my life out of love, even if it hurts at first.

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” —Romans 12:4-5

Out of mutual love for each other and respect for obeying God, we can draw into a much greater, more meaningful community.

—Scott Linebrink

Scott Linebrink is a regular contributor of The Increase, providing monthly articles and opinions.

Check out Scott’s Increase profile here: http://theincrease.com/author/scott-linebrink/  

If you enjoyed this article, please share: