By Joe Pettigrew
Lou Gehrig may not have died from Lou Gehrig’s disease after-all. The Hall of Fame pro baseball player is the namesake for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a debilitating neurological disease that slowly paralyzes its victims and ultimately leads to death. Recent research has revealed that Gehrig may not have had ALS, but instead exhibited similar symptoms due to the many concussions he encountered in his long career.
Gehrig was the legendary Iron-Man who played in 2,130 consecutive baseball games. He started one game only hours after he was hit by two pitches in one inning. It has been recorded that he had a bump on his head so large that he wore “Babe” Ruth’s much larger cap. We praise Gehrig for his resolve to play through pain, but his commitment to “not let his team down may have led to the disease that killed him. Gehrig was good at what he did, but what he did may have ruined his life.
Is it worth it? This question nags at the young teacher eating takeout as she grades papers deep into the night. Her job drains the joy from her life but she owes too much to the bank to do anything else.
Is it worth it? This question haunts the dreams of the traveling businessman. He’s making more money than he ever expected, but he’s gone more than he’s home.
If you have drive and talent, most likely you’re good at what you do. But we shouldn’t let that get in the way of what’s best for us and our family. You owe it to God, yourself, and those who love you to ask the big question: ”Who am I working for?”
Think and Pray
Is your career, business, or obsession keeping you from the people you love the most? You may be terrific at what you do, but what you do may be ruining your life.
Father, thank you for this job and the opportunity to represent You as I do it. Teach me to align my work, family, church life, and rest in a way that would maximize Your glory and allow me to bear the most fruit for Your kingdom.
Joe Pettigrew is a respected authority on the issues affecting Christian businessmen and executives. He is an executive coach, professional speaker, and founder of Leaderpoint, an international leadership-coaching firm. He also serves as the President of In The Zone Ministries, and is the co-author of Living Life in the Zone: A 40-Day Spiritual Gameplan for Men.
