Nate McLouth: Faith in Center Field

CBN.com Center field can be a lonely position in baseball, but for Nate McLouth it’s a perfect fit.

Nate McLouth: Every day I go out there to play as well as I can, to play as hard as I can to bring glory to the Lord.

From 2005 to 2009 he played with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2008, he was chosen for the National League All-Star team and won the Gold Glove award. Today, he’s part of an impressive Atlanta Braves roster that’s looking to return to post-season play. But Nate believes his rise to success in the Majors came from a decision he made while still playing in the Minors.

Nate McLouth: Things would start to get to me, like maybe if I were in a slump. This really should not be that big of a deal to me. Not playing well should not affect me this much. That’s when I realized that baseball was No. 1 in my life. My profession was No. 1 in my life when it should have been the Lord.

Shawn Brown: Did you grow up with Christ in the home?

Nate McLouth: Yeah. My parents always took us to church. They made faith an important part of our life early on and trusted that I would make it my own when I got older, and that’s what happened.

Shawn Brown: How old were you when you got serious and said it’s time to make this decision about God?

Nate McLouth: Early on in the Minor Leagues when I was around 19, 20 years old. It was my first time being away from home and being on my own and realizing that the same God that was with me in Michigan where I grew up with my parents is the same God that’s with me wherever I go. That was really what made me realize that I need to take this next step and make this faith my own.

Shawn Brown: What is the hardest thing about being a Christian in professional baseball?

Nate McLouth: Making sure you find time on a daily basis to read the Bible and pray. The schedule is so hectic that you can kinda get sidetracked and then maybe not read your Bible for one day and that can turn into 2, 3, then a week and the next thing you know you haven’t been in the word in awhile. Ever since I’ve improved. In the past few, four, five years, it’s made a world of difference.

So far, 2010 has been a challenging year for Nate on the baseball field. Times like these are when he turns to his faith in Christ for perspective.

Nate McLouth: That’s when I think faith is the most important, when things aren’t going well. Baseball can seem like it’s everything when it’s really not. I’ve really learned to stay consistent and even keel. My career is in the Lord’s hands, and whatever He wants to come of it will come of it.

In the meantime, Nate is determined to set an example for those around him.

Nate McLouth: It’s easy to go to church on Sundays and say you believe in God and accept Him as your Savior, but to actually live it’s a little bit different. That commitment is something that I would encourage people to make because it’s the most important decision you can make, and it’s more than worth it. It’s something that, unless you experience it, it’s a little tough to put into words, but it’s the best decision I’ve made.