In athletics such as baseball or football, a time-out is often called when the team needs to stop and consider what has to be done.

How about you? A time-out can be called any time we need to confer with someone else—a parent, a mentor, a companion, a subordinate, a family member, a friend—even God.

Steady makes ready

The noise and the hype of competition in sports sometimes can be overwhelming. The time-out is an opportunity for players to steady their nerves and focus on the needs of the situation, both strategic and tactical. Sports commentators sometimes call it clock control, when a team wants to score a final few points and deny the same opportunity to the opposition.

Football teams practice the “two-minute drill” when they need to be especially focused on their playing, the timing and especially the player-to-player assignments. Both basketball and football are sports that depend tremendously on timing, and seconds can separate success from general disorder and failure.

No one deliberately wants to fail in this life or in our sports and recreation. One way to ensure that we do have the optimum opportunity for success is to occasionally take a time-out.

Jesus took time-outs

Jesus Christ is the perfect example for all humanity—not just for the pastor of a church, not just for the deacons, not just for the family next door, but also for you and me.

One of the best times to take a time-out is when you are already alone. Perhaps when walking between classes or taking a coffee break at work.

Think about it. One of Jesus’ time-outs is described in Matthew 14, just after he finished feeding the crowd with the five small loaves and two fishes of a boy’s lunch. “Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there (verses 21-23).

Following this prayer time, conferring with God the Father, Jesus appeared to the disciples by walking on water. That’s the kind of regeneration and renewal that taking a time-out with the right person can bring!

God also makes a special opportunity for us to have a time-out to confer with him. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,” Christ says, “and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Perhaps you’ve read this passage and this promise before. But perhaps you never noticed the possible connection with baseball, football, or basketball. It’s there!

One of the best times to take a time-out is when you are already alone. Perhaps when walking between classes or taking a coffee break at work. It helps to stop momentarily and lift our eyes upward from the ground, where we tend to avoid stumbling over the many obstacles in our way. It usually gives me a refreshing surge of mental and spiritual energy, a surge that can often last for an hour or more.

Checking the field

A quarterback has a definite need to keep focused on what’s ahead and around—to get the ball to the receiver and also to avoid being tackled. His eyes must be quick and he can’t take much time to make a decision.

This can be looked at like a quick time-out. We need to make a decision but still need time to think. We grab a quick look at reality and are able to regain focus among the chaos around us.

We can take a breather and refocus, maybe repeat portions of Bible scriptures or just refocus on what is important. There are hundreds, even thousands, of ways that a time-out can be utilized.

Every once in a while we must take a time-out!