Learning to choose a long term mindset
The biblical word for patience literally means long-suffering. Guess that accurately describes my life as fan of the Los Angeles/Anaheim/California/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I’ve lived and died with them. This tease climaxed on May 18, showing both greatness and ineptitude. Their game with the Athletics (not sure where they call home now) followed a six-game losing streak in all. They earned the worst won/loss record in all of major league baseball. Yes, I cry.
A’s pitcher J.T. Ginn allowed no hits the first 8 innings. Said his manager Mark Kotsay, "J.T. dominated all night… He pitched probably the best game he's pitched in his big-league career.” But a game lasts 9 innings, and in the bottom of the 9th Angels leadoff batter Adam Frazier punched a single. No hitter gone, but the lead held. Until Zach Neto blasted a 413 ft home run, ending the game. The lesson: in the words of the immortal Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Now, don’t expect a rah-rah message that if you hang in until it’s over you’ll overcome the obstacle. Win your World Series. Honestly, life doesn’t always happen like that. I hoped that inspirational finish would inspire my Angels, that it would mark a turnaround. They lost the next three games, outscored 23 to 13. I’m no prophet, but I’d bet money they won’t win the World Series this year.
But my Angels gave us a lesson. Choose a long-term mindset. Play the long game, not the short one. Don’t allow difficulties to cause us to quit. Be willing to suffer for our long-term goal. Particularly in the spiritual realm, where we’re guaranteed to win the Spiritual World Series—with God forever in heaven, with a new body where God will wipe away our tears from the pains and hurts we’ve experienced. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people” (Galatians 6:9-10).
Easy? Not at all. But it’s worth it when our terminal goal guide our decisions, not our short term setbacks. And as we do, let’s keep in mind the best tool I know against discouragement—realizing we’re not responsible for the results, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8). We do our best to do good. We avoid discouragement when we don’t get the results we hope for. And he will reward us.
Kick Starting the Application
How easily do you give up on tasks you know are right? What causes that? Think of a time you hung in there despite being discouraged—what caused you to continue?