Running with purpose

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (I Corinthians 9:25-27)

This walk with Jesus might intimidate some, but you don't need to be afraid to really 'get into it'. God never asked us to just 'show up' - he always asked for our best and our first. You and I may have been 'trying' to walk as we should for way too long - 'trying' but not really hitting the mark. Just doing our 'best' hasn't proven to be enough to get us to the goal line. We need to stop trying and really just put some effort into training!

Trying is where we start, but a 'trial period' doesn't produce consistent results, does it? We must invest in the 'training' that is required in order to grow up in Jesus. Half-hearted attempts may get us moving in the right direction, but they lack the commitment that will get us 'all the way' to the finish line. The difference between trying and training is simple - when only trying, we give up when we no longer feel the motivation! An athlete trains with intention and intensity. Emotions may tell us to quit, but the athlete, being committed to his training, will 'train on' even when the emotions are drained.

Fight for what truly matters. Training is for a purpose - to be all that God calls us to be. Our mindset must change from just trying to training for the long haul. When we train, we find we do some things today, but those 'things' actually are helping us develop what we will need for our training tomorrow. If you want to think of this in a spiritual sense, training is merely what scripture refers to as 'faithfulness'. An athlete sets goals and then takes the steps toward each goal. It isn't to run a marathon today - it is to run a block, then two, then a mile, until he is able to run the half-marathon. As he trains, he develops the strength and stamina for the race. 

Remember this - trying is something we do for the short term; training is what we do when we want to go all the way with Jesus. Training is actually helping you and I become more of what we already are - redeemed, whole, and living with a purpose in mind. Just sayin!