A turning 60 blog post by Bob Bae

In baseball lingo, “the sweet spot” is a term used to describe the part of a bat which makes the most effective contact with the baseball.   It’s the section of the bat where maximum power is achieved with minimal vibration.  Ask any baseball player and they’ll tell you the hardest hit balls with maximum exit velocity are off of the sweet spot.

A window of time where life experience, wisdom, and spiritual maturity coincides with relative strength and youthfulness.

About 10 years ago, I began to think about this concept of “the sweet spot” as a specific window of time in life.  A window of time where life experience, wisdom, and spiritual maturity coincides with relative strength and youthfulness.  To be able to have the strength of Caleb, who in Joshua chapter 14 said, “as my strength was then, even so is my strength now”.  And the understanding of Job who said that “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.” It’s a maturity that can only come from life experience coupled with the strength and ability that typically comes with youth.  Now of course, age and experience does not guarantee maturity.  We all know older people who never seem to mature, whether emotionally or spiritually, and there are younger people who have gained wisdom and maturity beyond their age.  And according to my definition of the sweet spot (which may be different than someone else’s definition), physical strength does not determine whether or not someone can experience the sweet spot.  Physical strength is a huge advantage, but it is the strength of heart and mind that is essential.

I’d like to think that I’m in the sweet spot of my life now or that it’s yet to come.  Wouldn’t we all? But honestly, I’m not so sure we will know we are living in the sweet spot until after it has passed and we realize it looking back.  And I don’t want to be that  arrogant to assume that I’m in my prime when I may already be past it.  

Its weakness that drives us to God

But this year I turn 60 years old and I feel strength thankfully physically, but also in heart and mind.  I have abided with Christ on this journey of faith for over 40 of those years, with decades of life experience and the bumps, bruises, and scars that go along with it. But lest I sound like I’m boastfully touting my relative longevity and life experience (I’m not), let me just say that I have learned in all of this that I am truly weaker than I ever thought. Yea. Weaker. And I believe that this is the starting place for any follower of Christ who wants to live in the sweet spot of life. Its weakness that drives us to God.  And one must have enough humility to actually recognize this.  

God regards the humble and uses the weak person who depends on Him

It is clear throughout scripture that God regards the humble and uses the weak person who depends on Him. Isaiah 66:2 says, “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”  It’s when we realize that a humble heart and a posture of dependence on God’s grace and guidance is what opens the door to experiencing the transformative power of His love and allows us to live in alignment with His purposes. When this is in conjunction with God given strength and vitality, what a sweet spot to be in.  

Like many of us, there was a time when I was younger and just a wee bit arrogant.  I probably would have said I was in the sweet spot at that time. It was a time where I felt that I was fairly successful and somewhat accomplished in my work, ministry, and family life. Weakness was not in my vocabulary and I pridefully felt that I had more wisdom than I really did.  But looking back I realize how much I really didn’t know or understand.  And life has a way of dealing blows that can make a seemingly strong person humble, and thankfully, by the handiwork of God, more wise and mature. 

It’s Christ who gives me strength

I think the apostle Paul recognized this when he wrote about his weaknesses in his epistles.  If we were to interview him today, he would probably tell us he thought he was in his prime before he met Christ. He was orthodox, educated, pious and strong, and he thought he was doing God’s work persecuting Christians.  But when he was humbled and met Christ, he realized that all of his accomplishments and achievements were a waste apart from humble submission to Christ as Lord of his life.  I’m quite certain he would say he was living in the sweet spot post-conversion.  Possibly when he told the Philippians “for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  Wow. Contentment? In ANY and EVERY situation? How is that even possible?  Paul tells us how in the last sentence of that verse: “It’s Christ who gives me strength”.  No wonder he could be content.  He had learned THAT “secret!”

I do not believe that God has called us to be “successful” over and above being FAITHFUL.

This recognition of our own weakness and ongoing need for God is not only a sign of spiritual maturity but it opens up the door for God to display His strength and power.  Paul the apostle minced no words when describing how God’s power was made manifest in his weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).  Further I believe that trusting in and depending on Christ brings about a maturity that goes far beyond the natural.  The kind of maturity that allows for believers in Christ to see that our definition of success in our endeavors does not necessarily mean God sees it that way.  I do not believe that God has called us to be “successful” over and above being FAITHFUL.  Living in the sweet spot has more to do with humbly and faithfully abiding in Christ rather than being successful in our accomplishments.  Accomplishments matter, but only as a fruit of our faithfulness to God.  

Becoming more aware of my utter weaknesses makes me recognize and appreciate the greatness of God through Christ in my life.

As a freshman into the 6th decade of life, I feel compelled more than ever to continue to abide in Christ and His word. To be immersed in His truth in the midst of a culture that is defiant of that truth, so that I may know Him more and proclaim the gospel of Christ clearly to a suffering and broken world.  Becoming more aware of my utter weaknesses makes me recognize and appreciate the greatness of God through Christ in my life.  For that I am truly grateful.  I have a deep and profound gratitude to God for his goodness and grace especially in light of the adversities, failures, and hard knocks that can leave a person limping through life. And even though I, and probably many of you, still haven’t been able to master the experience Paul had of “learning the secret of contentment in any and every situation”, I believe we are moving in the right direction if we continue to grow more dependent upon Christ and His power.  

Finally, I’ll never forget game 1 of the 1988 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland A’s.  It was one of the most memorable World Series games in baseball history because of Kirk Gibson’s unlikely bottom of the 9th inning homer that won the game (google it) and catapulted the Dodger’s to eventually win the series. He was one of the best hitters for the Dodgers that year but was injured with 2 bad knees and was not even on the roster to play in the World Series. In a last ditch effort to try to win the game, Kirk Gibson surprised everyone by hobbling out to the plate and blasted a homer with what appeared to be somewhat of a weak swing to win the game.  The only reason the ball left the yard was because he hit it directly on the sweet spot of his bat.  Weakened by his injuries, he was able to do what many try and often fail to do in their full strength. To the cheers of 55 thousand fans, Kirk Gibson limped around each base to reach home plate.  As grand as this moment was for baseball fans like me, it greatly pales in comparison to what God can do in our weakest moments in life when our trust is in Him.  It’s Christ who gets us across the home plate of life even though we may be limping around the bases.  And there definitely will be cheering, but we will be among those cheering, not for ourselves, but for our Provider of grace and strength, and Author and Finisher of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ.