When I coached T-Ball we didn’t keep score. Not officially, at least — though at the end of the game the coaches could usually give you the final numbers. The closest we came to it was limiting the number of runs allowed: each inning both teams batted until they made three outs or scored seven times. Most of our games seemed to end in a 35-35 tie.
The idea was to give young players an opportunity to learn the basics of the game without the pressure of competition. I think it’s a pretty good policy to put in place while five and six year olds are becoming familiar with the fundamentals. But there comes a time when we’re ready to start keeping score and to start collecting stats. It’s how we chart progress, and it’s pretty much the point of the game.
It’s the same in business and in life. We need to make a habit of keeping score in certain areas — keeping track of where we are and where we are going in order to get where we want to be.
Charles Coonradt said, “You have to measure what you want more of.” This is why we keep an eye on the scoreboard during the game, it’s why we check our bank balances during the month, and it’s why — if we’re smart — we evaluate our progress in the less tangible areas of life.
No one stumbles into holiness accidentally. No one just gets lucky — not long term anyway — with a happy family and a perfect marriage. And no church experiences sustained growth (numerical and spiritual) without a concerted effort to measure progress and chart results.
Paul told us to run our race in such a way as to win the prize. He’s not talking about competing with others, he’s talking about competing with ourselves: being the best that we be for the sake of the gospel. For this reason, Paul states, “I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.” (1 Corinthians 9:26)
In order to get where you want to be, you have to learn to keep score. This means measuring the time you spend with your family, the time you spend in the Word, and the results you’re achieving personally and professionally. You measure what you want more of. Decide what it is, and run the race in such a way as to win the prize. — SM
