It’s Time to Narrow the Gap
BY C.A. PHILLIPS
What if you began to play baseball? Suppose you had the world’s best instructor, but he only taught you one skill. Let’s say he decides the most important aspect of the game is making accurate throws. He works with you for hours each day, helping you gain an understanding of the proper mechanics — popping your feet, then shuffling toward the target, cocking your arm with your two fingers on top of the baseball in a four-seam grip, the release of the ball, and the follow-through, while your feet continue toward your target. You do this 100 times each day for one year, so you’ve got 36,500 reps under your belt. You’ve mastered the art of throwing the baseball accurately from Point A to Point B. Confident in your skill, you have signed up for the local baseball league. There’s hitting and pitching and catching involved as well, but you’ll get to that later. You’re at the top of the mountain in terms of what you’ve learned about how to throw the baseball. The coach sets his lineup and puts you in the infield. The first batter steps up to the plate, and hits a routine grounder to you. You field it cleanly, but you fail to move your feet. You don’t reach back for the four-seam grip, and you sidearm the throw to first base. Because you never shuffled and got low, your chest is high. And, because you didn’t get your fingers on top of the baseball, it sails up and away from the first baseman, pulling him off the bag. It’s the one thing you’ve spent the past year working on, and you didn’t execute. Our lives actually mirror this scenario quite often, and we may not even be aware of it. I read an article years ago about the largest gap that exists in the Christian life. Many believe that, in order to live like Jesus would want them to, they need to know more about the Bible. They think the biggest gap is 44
AROUND ACWORTH | June 2020
between what they know and what they don’t know. But, according to the author of the article, the largest gap is really between what we know, and how we live. I’d bet the vast majority of Christians in our world feel like they should know more about what the Bible teaches. Those same Christians probably know some of what the Bible teaches. Maybe just one thing. You’ve likely heard or read the Golden Rule: Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is found in Matthew 7:12, where Jesus is delivering his famed Sermon on the Mount. You may have opened your Bible rarely. Maybe you have been out of church for a decade. You’ve not attended a Bible study in ages. Yet, you know this one part of Jesus’ teaching. The question isn’t, “Why aren’t you learning more scripture?” or “Why aren’t you attending church?”
The better question is, “What are you doing with what you know?” If you know you’re supposed to treat other people like you want to be treated, how’s that going in your world? Do you speak to people with honor? Do you treat them kindly, and give them the benefit of the doubt? There are 31,102 verses in the Bible. How are you doing with the one you know? It’s time to narrow the gap — not by knowing more, but by living in such a way that someone may notice something about you is different. The next time the ball is hit your way, don’t do what seems right. Do what is right. You’ll not only make the play — you’ll make a mark! C.A. Phillips has lived in Kennesaw for more than 37 years and serves as communications pastor at NorthStar Church.