1 Corinthians 9:25 12/24/2019*

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

How strict is your spiritual training now, compared to your physical training during your athletic career?  If you had approached athletics with the same consistency you currently have toward spiritual exercise how far would you have gone?

Everybody wants to improve …but “wanting” isn’t enough …you must put in the work in order to achieve results. Every day you must do the mundane, repetitive, difficult things that create progress.

Paul makes the “physical / spiritual” training comparison to the Corinthians and takes it a step further.  Not only should we train as hard spiritually as we do physically…but harder … because one is temporary and the other eternal.

Christmas should motivate us to serve God better, and a new decade gives us a clean slate to begin a training schedule that will produce results.

Expect it to take time. You didn’t begin working out one day and suddenly become an amazing competitor …It took hard work, discipline and consistency …and eventually you became skilled at your craft.  But it never would have happened had you not decided - and started.

So, let’s make the decision and start today…. Resolve to workout spiritually like you did athletically. No excuses:
 

-      Every day get in the Word.

-      Every morning spend time in prayer. 

-      Daily work on scripture memorization.

-      Commit to regular meetings with people who will encourage you and hold you accountable.

-      Allocate days each month that you will intentionally serve others.

These cannot be proposals; they must be commitments to your “spiritual weight room” that are non-negotiable.

Will you instantly become a great man or woman of God?...maybe not, but you will improve. And God says that the seeds you plant will grow. Plant some good seeds today - and tomorrow - and the next day … and soon you will enjoy a great harvest. 

By the power of God, the next decade really can be different…commit to it…start simply, and simply start.

“If we believe that life with God is possible in this world, and if we believe THAT life is the one we've always longed for, then it would be worth whatever it cost us to pursue it.”
― Mike Cosper