I don’t know about yall, but I’m always exhausted on Monday mornings. I push myself to get things done, but it’s like I’m working in a mental fog all morning.
So I always appreciate things that can make me laugh - especially on Mondays.
This made me laugh.
If you’re a baseball fan, you know that pretty much the only time the catcher comes out to talk to the pitcher is when things aren’t going so well. Maybe the pitcher has missed a few signs on what pitch to throw, or maybe the pitcher has allowed several runs to score in the inning.
In fact, if the pitcher is doing well (throwing a no-hitter or a perfect game), no one will talk to him.
So - the worse a pitcher is doing, the more his teammates will talk to him and encourage him. The better he is doing, the less they will interact with him. Baseball is full of highly superstitious people - which is pure foolishness. But it makes for an entertaining cartoon like the one above.
How does this relate to preachers?
Certainly, our brethren who are struggling need encouragement to do right and to keep resisting the devil (1 Peter 5:8-9).
However, let’s not forget that even those “doing well,” spiritually speaking, still need encouragement. When you read the apostle Paul’s letters, you will find that he often encouraged those doing right to keep it up.
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)
Paul was not rebuking the Christians in Philippi for failing to do what they should have done - he was encouraging them to continue doing what was right.
Our preaching and teaching should correct those who have strayed from God and encourage those who faithfully follow Him (2 Timothy 4:2).
I appreciate all of you for your hard work in the Lord’s kingdom. Keep up the excellent work, and keep proclaiming the truth!
Don’t allow discouragement to overwhelm you - we all face it and know how tough it can be. Keep going!
And if things are going well for you right now - that’s wonderful! Continue to thank God for the opportunities He’s given you, and keep going!
Well said... With so many false teachers out there these days, it is good to pray for and encourage the ones who do still faithfully preach the Word! Just restacked this post...
Such a great article! We need to remember this as preachers, and hopefully church members remember it toward us as well.