In his book Play Ball, former Major League Baseball All-Star Dave Dravecky says some athletes are known around the league as “complete packages” or “franchise players.” Former MLB Manager Leo “The Lip” Durocher said, “These are the athletes coaches look for, the ones that have exceptional abilities to run, catch, throw, hit for distance, and hit for average.”

Dravecky draws from this baseball analogy to suggest that a “five-tool” Christian is someone who:

• Makes God’s Word a priority. “Don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says” (James 1:22).

• Knows he can’t grow without the fellowship of believers. “Standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News” (Philippians 1:27).

• Prays regularly. “Pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done” (Philippians 4:6; Psalm 105:4).

• Talks about his relationship with Christ to others, when appropriate. “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. . . . Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds” (Psalm 105:1-2).

• Stays humble and loves others the way Christ loves us. “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. . . . You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:3-5).

Dravecky concludes, “Baseball players must make the best of whatever tools they have been given. Only a select few are born every generation with the ability to be five-tool players. Christians, on the other hand, can be five-tool followers of Christ every time they step inside the lines. Why should we choose to be average?”