A few months ago, I spoke to a men’s group near Boston. This afforded me the opportunity to attend Fenway Park for the first time. The date was August 10, and my Astros defeated the Red Sox in a thriller.
But something was happening at the game that I didn’t know about until much later.
Red Sox star outfielder Jarren Duran received a coveted recognition before the game. He was awarded the “Heart and Hustle Award,” which recognizes a player with “a passion for the game” who “best embodies its values, spirit, and traditions.”
Then, during that same game, when a fan heckled him at the plate, Duran turned to that fan and shouted a racial slur for which he was suspended for two games.
Major oops!
What’s the lesson? We can do all the right things and appear to have it all together, while on the inside, something is terribly wrong. That’s why the prophet said, “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Recovery Step: Become the person you want people to think you are.