Eye Black

Ready: 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.” -- Luke 4:18 NLT

Set:

As a baseball player, there was no feeling like putting on eye black before a big game. When I smeared it on my face, I was focused on winning the game. I felt invincible — like I could do anything on the field. All nerves, problems and distractions went away. I was ready to be the superstar I knew I could be. 

As athletes, when we are focused and playing our best, everything comes to us naturally. We go with the flow and step up and shine. But what about when we step off the field? Are we really focused when it comes to the rest of our lives?

As Christians, God has given us our own “eye black.” The Bible says that we are “anointed.” The original meaning of this word is “smeared.” When God would anoint someone in the Bible, leaders would smear oil all over their face. This oil represented the Holy Spirit. This represented the power of God to bring health and healing. The Bible reminds us that we have the same Holy Spirit in us that was in Jesus to enable us to pursue living our entire life focused on Him and His mission.

Go:

1. What does your life look like off the field? Do you feel like you are focused on God when it comes to your personal life?
2. What does it mean to be “anointed” by Jesus?
3. How can you pursue a godly life outside of sports?

Workout:

1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; James 5:14

Overtime:

“Lord, thank You for anointing me to do Your work on and off the field. Help me to find ways to stay focused on You as I practice my calling outside of sports, Amen."

Jake Hannon