Last week when I read the news that Josh Hamilton had a “relapse”,  I wasn’t mad at him. I wasn’t disappointed in him. I felt bad for him. While many web sites took the opportunity to pile on Josh and throw stones, I felt a deep sadness in the pit of my stomach. After the 24 hour rule of allowing it to process, I think I got mad. I wasn’t mad at Josh Hamilton, I was mad at all of the people and media outlets lined up to point out his failure. The last time I checked, Josh is human. Did his relapse make him any less Christian? This might not be received correctly but let me say this….

I believe it made him even more Christian.

In 1 Corinthians 15:31, the Apostle Paul said “I die every day – I mean that, brothers- just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7, the Apostle Paul said “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a throne in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me“.

Josh Hamilton is an addict. Every morning when he rises he has choices that he must make. His record against those choices is pretty strong. He has a thorn in his flesh. He must die daily to these addictions and surrender them to Christ. Last week they won. As I said on twitter and Facebook, the only difference between Josh Hamilton and I is that his failure was in the public eye.

We’re all fighting an addiction and thorns. They come in all shapes and sizes. They are the result of an evil which exists in our world. We will win and we will lose, but we must keep fighting. We will slip. We will fall. We are not perfect. We are forgiven by grace and called to aspire to live like Christ. Until all things are made right, we will all suffer a “relapse”. Be very careful if you think you won’t. I bet Josh Hamilton would say the same.

Keep fighting Josh. Keep fighting to all those that read this. I’m fighting. I’ll win. I’ll fail. But I will keep fighting and I firmly believe Josh Hamilton will too.

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