“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave it to her husband with her, and he ate.” – Genesis 3:6

When we drop the ball, there are consequences. Years ago, my son and his teammates were competing against teams from across the Southeast in a youth baseball World Series. The 15 and 16 year old boys had made the trip to Enterprise, Alabama to represent South Carolina and they were excited. After winning the first two games, the stage was set. One more victory would give them a bye allowing  the coaches to set up the pitching for the rest of the tournament. News also spread quickly that the bye would allow the team to go to a nearby beach for some fun and relaxation. With the lead going into the bottom half of the last inning, the team could taste the win. A routine pop-up should have been the final out, but the first baseman dropped the ball. With new life, the opposing team went on to win the game and shatter our team’s plans.

You might say that Adam was the first spiritual leader in the history of man. God had tasked Adam with overseeing the garden as well as providing direction for his family. This required Adam to be a good steward over his resources and relationships. Unfortunately, he failed on both counts. He mismanaged God’s creation when he ate the forbidden fruit. Adam also mismanaged his wife by being passive when he should have taken a stand. In dropping the ball, Adam failed to meet God’s standard. When God called out the sin, Adam even blamed Eve only making matters worse. As spiritual leaders, we often fail to take responsibility when we drop the ball. Too often we neglect our responsibilities at home, on the job, in our neighborhood and in the church. There will always be times when we drop the ball. It might help if in those times we remember that having a backbone is much more important than having a wishbone!

Heavenly Father, help me to keep my eyes focused on Your standards and not those of the world. When I drop the ball, give me the courage to accept responsibility. Use my failures to grow in my faith and in my love for You. In Jesus name, Amen.