By Brad Locke
January 16, 2004

(AgapePress) - I imagine George Steinbrenner standing alone in his office, looking out over dimly lit Yankee Stadium, then sighing, bowing his head and shifting his body under the weight of the inescapable thought that continually haunts him: Why isn't it working anymore?

Those World Series rings have lost their gleam, the cheers are faint echoes in the recesses of his mind, the joy of winning as far removed from New York as Roger Clemens. Is he losing his touch? Why did Clemens and Andy Pettitte jilt him? Why isn't the money solving everything? Why can't we win?

He's been here before. He's had dry spells, but he's always overcome. He takes a deep breath, clenches his jaw, lifts his head proudly and steels his heart against the disturbing feelings tugging at it. Success will come again. He won't quit until it does.

A man persevering through choppy waters? Or a man pretending that he isn't drowning in his own bathtub?

I cannot attest to the exact nature of Steinbrenner's inner conflict, or if there even is one. But I imagine it's a conflict familiar to not only other team owners, but to people in general.

Even Christians.

For the heathen, he goes through life hopping from one self-fulfillment to the next, feeding his gluttonous spiritual tapeworm with epic experiences. Inward reflection only brings despair. For the Christian, he is often in search of the next spiritual high, eschewing gradual growth for that warm, fuzzy feeling of closeness to God.

In sports, instant gratification -- the win-now attitude -- is the rule. It's nothing more than a reflection of our society, where patience is a vice. Teams so often attempt to field a championship-caliber squad with wide-open checkbooks and stacked rosters. It may work for a while, but the fallout is never worth the temporary rewards.

I was watching a recent episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It was about a high school basketball team that filled its roster with "ringers" -- top-notch players recruited from around the city. The result was plenty of victories, but also a locker room conflict between the newcomers and less-talented mainstays that escalated into murder.

Certainly the end results aren't usually that tragic, at least not in the sports realm. Real life is another story. Never in our nation's history has instant success been so coveted. People stock their souls with the world's newest, sleekest conventions in hopes of finding that utopian destination of peace and happiness.

For a while, it may work. Contentment and self-satisfaction will settle in -- until some tragic circumstance unsettles them. Then that person grabs for his personal truth only to find it's a mirage, a temporary Band-Aid that hurts like the dickens when it's inevitably ripped off by reality's cold fingers.

Christians can fall into a similar trap. We look for the perfect church, the inspiring book or radio program, the most comforting bit of theology, all in hopes of accelerating our journey to a Godly state of mind minus the growing pains. We don't go to church to humbly worship, as we should, but rather to "nourish" ourselves spiritually, opening our souls wide for the pastor or Sunday school teacher to pour in the fruits of the spirit.

Sure, we may become great defenders of the faith, or great teachers, or very obedient -- but we also become Pharisees. For all our spiritual "success," for all the hearts we may have "won for Christ," for all the praise we receive from our fellow Christians, real love eludes us. I'm talking about the kind of love that causes us to put aside our spiritual pride when someone is truly in need of a friend, the kind of love that drives us to our knees, pleading for God's mercy when sin is mauling us, the kind of love that opens our eyes to the fact that the only way to win the ongoing spiritual battle in this world is through long-term commitment, humility and a host of other biblical qualities we often ignore.

If you're a team owner, you need to learn that dynasties without foundations quickly crumble. If you're a regular Joe, you must learn that a life propped up by sparkling falsehoods and self-gratifying endeavors will fall right over. And if you're a Christian, it is essential to learn that faith is trusting God's direction and timing -- for any other way leaves us gazing down on an empty soul, wondering why all our spiritual tricks aren't working anymore.