Recognition
by Doug Reese TTNL
Considered by many to be the greatest hitter to ever play baseball, Ted Williams played for the Boston Red Sox from 1939-1960. His tremendous career was interrupted twice - once when Williams served in World War II from 1942 to 1946, and again in 1952-53, when he missed almost the entire seasson serving in the Korean War. Nevertheless, Ted Williams still amassed 521 home runs, a .344 life-time batting average, and was the last major leaguer to hit above the magically .400 level, when he hit .406 in 1941.
Ted Williams only thought of one thing when he stepped in the batter's box: "I am Ted Williams, the world's greatest hitter." That was his focus. Williams said, "All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street, folks will say, 'There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived." That was his goal.

Forty years after he retired, Williams is still recognized as the best by his peers. At the 1999 All-Star Game in Boston, the players were asked to leave the field for the start of the nationally televised game, but many of today's stars refused to leave the presence of the legendary Ted Williams, who was on the field chatting and meeting the members of the All-Star team.

Athletic Principle

One of the greatest joys in athletics is to be recognized for your athletic abilities; your talent, your skills, and for your performance. Athletes are also remembered for their character, their hustle, their leadership and for their integrity.

But athletes and coaches are also remembered for the mistakes they have made:
  • In the Rose Bowl, Roy Reigals picked up a fumble and zig zagged across the field streaking for the goal line, the wrong goal line, scoring a touchdown for the other team. He never lived it down, as he is remembered today as "Wrong-way Reigals."
  • Bill Buckner's error in game seven of the 1986 World Series gave the New York Mets the world championship title, when the games should have been easily won by the Boston Red Sox.
  • Heavyweight Boxing World Champion, Iron Mike Tyson will be remembered for biting off a peice of Evander Holyfield's ear during a championship bout.
  • NCAA champion and Olympic Basketball Coach Bobby Knight is remembered for tossing a chair across the court in anger for a disputed call made by the official.
  • U.S. National Champion and Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding will be remembered for her role in injuring competitor Nancy Kerrigan, so that Harding could make the Olympic Team.
  • Tennis champion John McEnroe will not be remembered so much for his play, or the championships he won as much as for his emotional outbursts against tennis officials.
  • Pete Rose will be remembered for his gambling addiction and his life-time suspension from baseball rather than his hustle and all-time hit record.
Every athlete would like to be remembered. What would you like to be remembered for? What will you be remembered for?

God's Performance Principle

There are two key principles that you need to remember; first and foremost it is critically important that you recognize God; and second, to realize that God recognizes and remembers you!
"The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will not." (Proverbs 10:7)
The righteous are those people who love, trust, and know God in their heart. This scripture verse says that our memory will be a blessing. We are blessed because God remembers our faithfulness. In Psalms 112:6, it is written, "Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever." That is a promise for those who know Christ as Lord and Savior. Your name will be written in the Book of Life, you will be remembered by God himself and spend eternity with Him! That is the greatest blessing you can receive.

It is also important for you to recognize God. You need to recognize Him in all that you do. You can recognize God by living a life pleasing to Him - by following His Word; by spending time with Him in prayer and Bible study; by thanking Him for all that He has given you. Wherever you are, whatever you do, you need to remember Him.
"On my bed I remember you, I think of you though the watches of the night." (Psalm 63:6)
It may be great to walk down the street and see people point at you, and hear them say there goes "________________." But, how great will it be when Jesus tells His Father, "Yes, I know him."
Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, TTNL Reprinted with permission