Changing Allegiance

The Little League World Series is one of my favorite events. It’s nostalgic for me as a former little leaguer. I remember how much baseball meant to me when I was 12. Watching kids play their hearts out for the love of the game reminds me of the beauty of sports. When I lived in New Jersey, I went to Williamsport, PA twice to watch the championship game. There’s something about the place that makes you want to return year after year. As a New Jersey resident for most of my life, I always rooted for the team from New Jersey.

My family moved to Texas almost ten years ago. I can’t believe it’s been that long already. On Tuesday, Abilene, Texas played Toms River, New Jersey. The winner stayed alive in the tournament, while the loser went home. I was rooting for Texas. If these two teams had played five years ago, I probably would have pulled for New Jersey. I still considered myself a New Jerseyan.

What changed? After ten years, I’ve become a Texan. My allegiance is to my home state. It’s easy to cheer for this team too. The coach’s son is the slugger, but the darling of the tournament is catcher Ella Bruning, a 12-year-old girl with braces and pig tails who can really play! I was happy that Texas squeaked out a 2-1 win over New Jersey and moved on.

I first became a Christian almost twenty years ago. Becoming a Christian happens at a moment in time when we acknowledge we are sinners who need a savior, and we put our faith in Jesus for salvation. When we do, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us forever. Being a Christian is a lifetime of choosing obedience to God’s way of doing things instead of our way. I have to admit that in my early Christian years, people may not have been able to tell my new allegiance to Jesus. My loyalty was still to myself and my selfish desires.

Change is a process. We’re all a work in progress. Living God’s way is a battle. Even the apostle Paul said, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19 NIV). If even Paul thought it hard to live the Christian life, we will too. We will still sin, but we will sin less over time as we allow the Holy Spirit more control over our lives. It’s a matter of being who you are. I’m a Texan, I root for Texas. As a Christian, I try to live for Jesus. Where is your allegiance?

Caveat: There’s an exception to every rule. Though I’m a Texan, I will NEVER root for the Cowboys!