I was looking through espn.com yesterday and came across this video of Josh Hamilton. He is the centerfielder for the Texas Rangers and is a born-again Christian. I read his autobiography in one sitting on a bus ride for a baseball trip to Florida during my senior year of college. He does not claim to be a perfect Christian, and he isn't one. He was captivated by drugs and alcohol for a long period of time and he is still prone to temptation (as evidenced by a recent relapse in February 2012). He does not make excuses for his failures but honestly owns up to them. His story is a testimony to God's grace, and I am encouraged deeply. It is not how you start, but how you finish as a Christian (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
Being a Christian doesn't automatically make life struggles go away, and I think that this common misperception has a stranglehold on many Christians (myself included). If I think back to a year ago, I see that I still struggle with the same sins that I struggled with then. It is easy to be discouraged with indwelling sin, but in these instances we must remember the promises of the gospel "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). Our God is gracious.
Here is the PTI Video:
Here is Josh's testimony in 5 minutes:
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