Clear the Mechanism

For Love of the Game

written by Chuck Gartman
(excerpt from Devotions for Guys Who Like Movies)

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Billy Chapel is an All-Star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, and is headed for Baseball’s Hall of Fame in the movie, For Love of the Game. On the day of the game of his life, his coach tells him that he is selling the team and that he will probably be traded after 19 seasons with the Tigers. His decision is whether or not to keep playing even if it’s for another team. Also on that day, his girlfriend decides to leave him, so he heads to the pitching mound with some overwhelming odds against him, not to mention the fact that his team is playing the league-leading Yankees.

The phrase “clear the mechanism” is used several times during the movie while he is on the mound. In essence, he shuts out all of Yankee Stadium with all its distractions as well as anything else that may keep him from concentrating on the task at hand, winning the game.

The lesson for us as Christians is easy; the practice of it is hard. God desires that we shut out all the distractions of our lives and keep our focus on His kingdom. While that is easy to think about, it is extremely difficult to do. Maybe the key is that we need to commit to keep our focus on the Lord and His kingdom, and ask Him to live His life out through us. As we do this, His kingdom stays in proper focus.

The word for us today is to “clear the mechanism” of all the distractions that keep us from living as a fully devoted follower of Christ.

this devotional taken from Devotions for Guys Who Like Movies