Leadership lessons: Continual growth

If the legendary longtime manager of the Baltimore Orioles, Earl Weaver, is famous not only for being a winning manager, but also for arguing calls by umpires.  Weaver was thrown out of 97 games, an American League record for managers. 

Weaver's earliest in-game ejection was in the top of the first inning. Two bang-bang plays at first base went against the O's. Weaver walked out of the dugout, approached the first-base ump, and asked, "Are you going to get any better, or is this it?" He was tossed out of the game quickly.

But that question is a good one. For life. Especially when we ask it of ourselves.

"Are you going to get any better, or is this it?"

But how do we get better? Through sheer self-effort? Hardly. 

Philippians 2: 12b-13 says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." To get better, we "work out" what God has "worked in."

Recently, I read from Matthew Henry's book, A Method of Prayer. In it, he suggests a way for us to pray to get better. 

"Lord, give me to grow with a growth that is from God; Colossians 2:19(ESV) to grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; 2 Peter 3:18(ESV) to hold to my way; and, having clean hands, to grow stronger and stronger. Job 17:9(ESV)

"Let my path be as the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. Proverbs 4:18(ESV)

"I have not yet obtained, nor am I already perfect; Lord, grant that therefore, forgetting what lies behind, I may strain forward to what lies ahead, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14(ESV)

"Be like the dew to me, that I may blossom like the lily and take root like the trees of Lebanon; that my shoots may spread out and my beauty may be like the olive. And let the sun of righteousness rise upon me with healing in its wings, that I may go out leaping like a calf from the stall. Malachi 4:2(ESV)"

I prayed this for me and for my family today. Will you?

"Are you going to get any better, or is this it?" We will get better if we seek the Lord's help to work out what He's worked in. All the days of our lives.