This past weekend, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  They had the largest crowd in Hall of Fame history.  More than 75,000 people came to see them inducted.  The crowd was there, not only for what these two players had accomplished, but the way they did it.  Both players spent their entire career with the team that drafted them and both of them have avoided the off-the-field embarrassments that we so often see in the lives of many professional athletes.

They both had more than 3000 hits with the team that drafted them.  The fans appreciated them not only because of their play,  but because they found they could trust them.  Gwynn had a great career with San Diego and Ripken holds the record for the most consecutive games played, 2,632.  I believe this is one of the most amazing records in sports.  He played when he was up or down, sick or well, injured or healthy.  Both of them in their career showed great discipline and tremendous loyalty.

That is the message here.  We are not gifted with discipline or loyalty.  What you see here is a picture of commitment.  These guys gave all they had and would not quit.  Whether you are a baseball fan or not, they are an example of how we ought to approach life.  The life of the believer is to be one of discipline and commitment despite the circumstances and challenges we meet day by day.  We may not be able to hit or field like these guys, but we can develop that discipline and a commitment to follow our Lord.  It is even more important for us to do this because life is more than a game.

When they played their first game in the majors, they probably did not think they would have such careers.  Just as it is in sports, life is about following Christ  one day at a time.