To the avid sports’ fan, the phrase “home field advantage” carries with it a special meaning. Since the home field part of it speaks for itself, let us consider why playing at home is an advantage. Here are three advantages of playing sporting events on the home field.
First of all, the familiarity of playing at home means that there are no surprises on the field; every one of Major League Baseball’s outfielders can tell you precisely how many steps they must take to any given part of the fence in their home park. You may think that sounds silly, but it is their job to know where they are. The only way to learn a ballpark this well is to practice until finding the wall is as simple as breathing. Just think of the consequences of not knowing your home field! If an outfielder drops enough balls running into fences, or stopping short of where he needs to go, he’ll be looking for another line of work!
Second, every sport has fans, and these fans know where to find their team…at home! The energy, cheers, and mere presence of fans can be better than having an extra man on the field. Sure, there will be a small number at home that are for the other team, but even then they are easy to spot [look for the ones not cheering when your favorite hometown player makes the great play].
Last, the player at home knows that his real home is not far away. After a physical contest that drains every ounce of strength from its players, home is the only thing that any of them want. Nothing can replace the comfort of home, especially when the alternative is a long trip on a plane or bus to somewhere else that isn’t home. Traveling away from home can wear down even the strongest of athletes.
If you are still reading this saying, “I thought this was supposed to be about relationships,” then your wait is over. Athletes can describe their sports’ home field down to the finest detail, but can you do the same with the Christian’s home field? The relationships at home are what will win or lose the contest for your soul. Do you know your home field? When a possible convert hits a question deep in the field of Christian doctrine, we must know the answer as the Bible teachers! To teach anything short or long of it is simply dropping the ball. “Relationships?” you say again. The outfielder practices with his teammates and coaches to master the dimensions of his field; Christians must practice together as well in order to master the doctrine of theirs [II Timothy 2:15]. An athlete knows that his home crowd does not wish for him to fail, and knowing this inspires them. Do you know this as a Christian? Compare the differences in the parties of Christians and non-Christians. The home crowd doesn’t want you to fail by drinking, doing drugs, or having sex before marriage. By having strong relationships with Christian friends, you’ll be less likely to make mistakes [Ecclesiastes 4:9-10].
At the end of a tough contest, the athlete playing at home knows that rest is waiting just around the corner. What do you think of the Christian home waiting for us? First of all, the church on earth serves as a temporary home for us [I Timothy 3:15; I Peter 2:5]. It is our duty as Christians to go out and teach others [Mark 16:15-16, Matthew 28:18-20], and this means going “on the road” and facing the opposition in some of the hardest places for a Christian to visit [visit, not stay … Christians must carefully choose their exposure to the fiery darts of Satan (I Peter 5:8)]. There is no better place for us to look for help when our souls are tired, the times that we are certain [yes, this time absolutely certain] that life cannot get any harder. Establish relationships with people your age for help in struggles that you share at school or with friends; look to adults for answers to questions that seem to have no answers [they might have asked them once upon a time, too]. These bonds between Christians pull us closer as a family, and push us to the ultimate goal, the final home of rest. Heaven itself can be the best reason for a Christian to stay on the home field while on earth. To spend quality time with a brother or sister in Christ is a preview of heaven itself; we must realize that only by being a noticeable group of people on earth will God call us His people in heaven. Our relationships on Earth with other Christians will be a key factor in deciding our place in eternity.
