Josh Hamilton Talks of Daily 'Surrender' to Christ After Breaking Record, Overcoming Addiction
Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers decided to turn a battle with addiction around this season after recently breaking records in the MLB, a feat he says was only possible with the grace of God.
Tim Tebow, 24, and Jeremey Lin, 23, rose to the top of their NBA and NFL markets respectively with public images that showcased more of their Christian faith and not so much their flaws. However, the road for 30-year-old Hamilton has been different.
The Christian and Texas Rangers power hitter has been dominating MLB headlines after having what The New York Times calls "the most productive seven days in major league history."
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Last week, the outfielder hit nine home runs, drove in 18 runs in four games and broke an American League-record with his 18 total bases in a game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Much like Tebow and Lin, Hamilton thanked God for his accomplishments. However, the MLB player who has completed 18 homers through 34 games has admittedly been battling substance abuse for over six years.
He publicly admitted that his most recent slip with alcohol was in February. Still, Hamilton credits God for his rehabilitation and told ESPN that his faith has allowed him to make a resurgence in his baseball career.
"I think about what God's done in my life, everything I did to mess it up," Hamilton told ESPN last week. "What God has allowed me to do, to come back from everything I've been through and still be able to play the game at the level I play it -- it's pretty amazing to think about that."
Hamilton admitted that some of his relapses with drugs and alcohol came about when he didn't put Jesus Christ first.
"To finally surrender everything and pursue that relationship with Christ on a daily basis and understanding when I don't pursue it, I end up messing up," Hamilton said. "Understanding that what I'm doing and what God's allowed me to do, coming back from everything I went through and allowing me to play the game at the level I play it, it's pretty amazing to think about."
