Yogi

I wonder how many of you out there remember this man, Yogi (Lawrence Peter) Berra. A famous baseball hall of fame hitter for the New York Yankees, driving in a phenomenal 23 runs in one game, turned player-coach for the Mets and brought them from the very last place in the final month of the season to win the National League pennant in 1973. He was a many-time MVP and set a pitcher's armlength of records during his lifetime as 'the toughest man in baseball in the last three innings". Yogi was also an often quoted individual because of his uniqueness in thought and expression. Two quotes I particularly like are: "Half the lies they tell about me aren't true." and "I never said most of the things I said."

This morning, I thought I would correlate one or two of his 'famous' sayings with teachings from the Bible and see how that applies to our walk with God. Let's start with this one: "In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." If you ever research some of his sayings, you oft times have to read them a few times to understand the uniqueness and what he is really saying. A theory is an idea, a conjecture, or a plausible hypothesis. Much like many people regard religion. Or even God. A theory. Yes, maybe plausible, and probably possible, but not necessarily a known fact. Last night, a few of us got together to discuss the topic, The Word of God. In reviewing two separate published studies on this subject, we decided it best to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, with certainty, that the Bible is indeed, the actual words of God, albeit recorded by man. We discussed how we should be able prove to anyone that the Bible was indeed, what we believe it to be, and not just an instrument designed by people. We discussed the theory of evolution, the 'big bang' theory, and the ideas people have about creation. (By the way, I believe in the Big Bang Theory-----one day God clapped His hands and "Bang", he created the heavens and earth.) ~smile~ The idea of an all powerful being is not an easy one to prove, however, it IS an easy one to put into practice. The difference between the two (theory and practice) is that your beliefs of a theory, such as the Word of God, can become reality simply by practical application. The easiest way to encourage someone who doesn't fully believe that the Bible is in itself a descendant of God, is to live out the instructions found within. Many times we trust our words, our teachings, our messages to instruct folks on what we believe, rather than simply live that way. "Do as I say, not as I do." Not a Yogi-ism, but a very impractical teaching. Flip that saying around--- Do as I do, not as I say, would be more appropriate in regards to how we should be demonstrating the difference between theory and practice when it comes to teaching about the Word of God. Theories are great. They are useful. But the practical application of those theories make them come alive. This is what we need to do with the teachings of the Bible. Don't just SAY you are going to meet with Disciples daily (Acts, chapter 2), but do it. Don't just talk about respecting your spouses, but make it come a reality as you read Ephesians, chapter 5. Over and over, take the Word of God and put it into practice, and the theory of God will become more real to non-believers and believers alike.

The next quip by Yogi I want to talk about is this one: "When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it." In analyzing this short sentence you might see a contradiction of sorts. "Which one?", you might ask. "Which road should I take?". We all know the answer to that question many different times in our lives. When we are confronted with an obvious choice between good and evil, most of us choose the correct one. Sometimes however, choices come along and we just don't know which one to take. Like, for example, 'should I buy a new car, or save some money by buying a pre-owned one?' There are advantages, and disadvantages to both choices. So, which one should you take? You have to weigh those advantages and disadvantages, and struggle hard with greed and envy, as you make your decision. That is a lesson in itself. Also, sometimes decisions are even more obscure in life's challenges. Some folks simply don't advance to their full potential simply because they don't take either fork..they stop and remain idle, or they turn around and go back the way they came. We have seen evidence of that recently, even within our own church, with people who have professed their life to God, openly to Jesus and all the world to see. Then, when difficulty comes along, a sharp fork in our road, they turn around and go back to their 'easier' lives. Jesus doesn't want us to do that. He told us through the Word that persecutions would certainly come into our lives. We will have difficulty on our jobs. We will have differences of opinion with friends. We will be hurt emotionally by loved ones. When we arrive at that split in our travels, we need to take Yogi's (and Jesus') advice.....take one of those forks. Your analysis of which one to take, of course, is important, but take one. To err is human, as it has been stated. Of course all of our decisions will not be the correct ones. But we can learn from them. So what if you err (you ARE going to); drive on, don't give up. You have seen several forks in the road yourself in your walk with God.....don't give up....make a wise decision and move forward.

I want to close out this lesson from one more quote by Yogi: "You got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there. " It too, correlates with the first two, as far as your righteous walk goes. If you firmly believe in the Word of God, that it is not just a theory, but an actual living document, directly from the mouth of God, then you are part way there. And as you are challenged along the way with choices, some hard, some easy, and you make those choices to continue, you are also on your way. However, as Yogi hints, you must be careful. Although his quote is somewhat juxtaposed, consider that he might be talking about your final destination. If you don't know for certain that it is heaven, you just might not make it. We have been studying out 'belief' lately in our Bible group, and we found it is a cornerstone of our religion. Faith, belief and actions are all required to get where we want to go. "Be careful", Yogi says. So does Jesus. He warns us of dangers. Of persecution. Of Satan. Yes, be careful. Make sure your decisions are the best you can make---seek guidance if you need to. Don't quit. Give God a chance.