What baseball teaches us about giving

by Matt Farmer

As summer winds down and football season is on the horizon, let’s not forget that playoff baseball is just ahead. The Royals are in the thick of the postseason race, and every game they play means a little bit more right now. Being in the generosity business, I tend to view everyday life through a unique lens. And, recently, I’m struck by how the game of baseball serves as an analogy for our approach to generosity.

1. It’s a long game (even with the new pitch clock)

How many times have you heard (or maybe you’ve thought it yourself) that baseball is boring because it’s too long? It’s a fair criticism: nine full innings per game (with the occasional half-inning relief), and 162 games a year. And during every game there are “boring” stretches and exhilarating moments.

These ups and downs throughout the long baseball season may be found during each of our lifetimes of generosity. Many times, we begin with the slow, steady work of building the habit and muscle of faithful giving, and then, perhaps when we least expect it, we experience exhilarating generosity moments (through service or financial gifts). Perhaps we should set a generosity-focused seventh-inning stretch and evaluate if we’re wisely giving to the causes we care most about and if our journeys are progressing towards a finish line.

2. It takes skill and training

The best baseball players in the world didn’t just accidentally become professionals. It takes years, decades, of honing skills with extreme discipline to reach a professional level. And once they’ve made it to the pros, many players are further tested if they’re asked to switch positions mid-career. Often a coach will recognize something in a player before he sees it in himself, and he must lean into that discomfort to keep growing.

Being a good steward is also a discipline that may often feel unnatural. Saying no to the desires of our hearts so we can say yes to what God desires for us takes practice and intentionality. Whether through community fellowship opportunities like Journeys of Generosityopens in a new tab or through our own personal habits of prayer, reading Scripture, we, too, hone our skills and shift our perspectives from self-gratification (getting what we want) to open-handedness (giving what others need).

3. Numbers aren’t everything

In this new-school era of baseball, stats and data are dominating the game. Teams employ more analysts than they ever have, seeking to optimize every pitch, every at-bat, and every play for their advantage. Players are evaluated by their WAR (wins above replacement), pitchers by their ERA (earned run average), batters by their OBP (on-base percentage) – and that’s just the beginning. But the numbers can’t account for everything. How can you quantify a player’s baseball IQ or the influence of the clubhouse leader? It’s those intangibles that can make or break a team.

It’s logical for some to analyze the effectiveness of generosity based on numbers like a 10% tithe or reaching a quantifiable goal, but focusing on the number may take our mind from the greater goal: Giving to God joyfully and sacrificially, as He gave to us. But God calls us to something deeper than percentages and benchmarks. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). God has uniquely placed us in this time and place and blessed us in different ways. Let’s use our gifts not to meet a number, but to reflect His generosity in the way we live and give.

4. Teamwork is powerful

On a baseball team, there are nine players on the field, each playing a different role. The right fielder has the strongest outfield arm and hits for power. The shortstop is fast and nimble, getting on base and stealing. Each position is unique and important in different ways.

Thinking biblically, we are one body with many membersopens in a new tab, individually offering skills and gifts, but all part of the same team. While all of us are called to give what we are able (time, talent, treasure, testimony, etc.), what that looks like for each of us can (and should) vary widely, ultimately making the entire body stronger. Some of us work on the ground with charities and directly help those in need, while others work with clients and families to propose wise giving strategies. The generosity ecosystem needs each of us to serve in our unique way.

5. Game-time decisions

At the risk of stretching the metaphor a bit further, here’s one more example. Last week, I watched an adult spectator catch a foul ball and, without hesitation, hand it to a child sitting nearby. The ball had just landed in this man’s lap, an unexpected gift, and he spontaneously gave it away.

In moments like that, generosity is a choice made quickly and instinctively. What would you do? Hold tight to something you didn’t earn, or open your hands to bless someone else? How we respond to opportunities for spontaneity can say a lot about our posture toward giving.

Once you start looking through the lens of generosity, you begin to see it in everyday moments, even at a baseball game. Wherever you are in your giving journey, our team is here to walk alongside you.

Whether you’re honing your skill set or discovering your unique role, we’re hereopens in a new tab to offer clarity and purpose as you take your next steps.