More Important than a National Championship

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

I’ve watched a lot of football over the last couple of weeks… A LOT. I watched as the NFL season drew to a close and I watched much of the Wild Card round of the playoffs. I watched many college bowl games, including the exciting College Football Championship in which Alabama won College Football’s National Championship.

Players and coaches spent many dedicated hours training, preparing, and practicing to win these games. They overcame injury (Ben Roethlisberger), extreme weather conditions (Seattle Seahawks), and scoring deficits (Alabama) to prevail in these contests. I also watched some players and coaches deploy questionable strategy and sportsmanship in an attempt to prevail. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly this year. All in the name of winning “the prize.” I’ve heard and watched fans cheer for their team and experience a plethora of emotions depending on the outcome of their game of interest.

What would happen if we applied the same effort to our spiritual journey? The verse above reminds us of two important truths: we need to compete for the right prize, and we need to compete for that prize in the right way. Also, what if we cheered and encouraged fellow believers in their life battles with the same enthusiasm we afford our favorite sports team?

To be successful in our spiritual journey we first need to make sure we are pursuing the right prize; not a perishable trophy but an eternal one. We need to value the approval of the Righteous Judge (Jesus) more than accolades of our culture. We need to train hard at the things that matter, giving as much – or more – effort to spiritual disciplines as championship contenders give to their athletic training. Just as athletes are expected to compete according to the rules, so also we will be most successful when we follow the guidelines God has given us in the Bible.

What are some ways you can apply the same passion that sports fans demonstrate for their team of choice to your Spiritual Walk?

Just as athlete tirelessly work through drills and exercises to make them stronger and better?  what Spiritual Disciplines do you employ to help you grow stronger in your faith?

Are you competing in the “game of life” according to the rules God has given us in His word?

Who are you cheering on and encouraging in their spiritual journey today?

 

For more information on Spiritual Disciplines I recommend http://biblicalspirituality.org

 

Constant Practice for Spiritual Maturity

I hate doing the same things the same way all the time.  To me, “routine” is just a “rut” with added letters to disguise it.  The older I get, however, the more value I find in repetition and consistency.

Sunday, as I watched the FSU Women’s softball team on TV, one of the commentators, Michele Smith, a former Olympic pitcher, mentioned how every time she practiced she did things the exact same way.  She extolled the virtues of a “routine.”  She mentioned that she did this so that in whatever situation she might be pitching, she would always feel comfortable.  Pitching was as natural to her as walking. Athletes develop routines so that their activity becomes so natural that they do not need to give it conscious thought. When pressure is on and fans are screaming and the game is on the line, they revert to what comes naturally and excel in those clutch situations.

We must beware of two caveats, however.  First, the athlete has to engage the routine, not just go through the motions.  Their “heart” has to be “in it.”  Secondly, the practice routine must involve doing the activity the proper way or else bad habits are programmed in place of the right way.

We succeed in whatever we choose to do when we INTENTIONALLY pursue the right goal in the right manner.  The writer of the book of Hebrews spends a good deal of the 5th chapter writing about spiritual maturity.  He identifies the spiritually mature person as one who has “their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14

What is your constant practice?  How do you “train” for spiritual success?  Bible reading and study, prayer, worship, fellowship with other believers, all when done intentionally, consistently, properly, and with our whole hearts provide a good routine that will help us act not naturally, but Godly when the pressure is on.

 

Objective Spirituality

The word “spiritual” gets thrown around a lot these days.  Some want to seem more spiritual than everyone else, and all of us are offended if someone should suggest that maybe we aren’t as spiritual as we think we are.

Is being spiritual just a matter of saying the right words so that we seem to know what we are talking about when we speak of God, Christian life, and church?  Does the spiritual person verbalize more eloquent public prayers than others?  Am I more spiritual than others because I “do” more than they do?

The Bible answers a resound “NO” to all the above.  A spiritual person is led by the Spirit of God. The Bible presents for us a rather obvious description of the person living under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The truly spiritual person demonstrates consistently the fruit (notice the word is singular, not plural) of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

These nine qualities are shown in contrast to the “works of the flesh” described in Galatians 5:19-21.  So the determining factor of spirituality is the motivation for how we think and act.  The spiritual person does not do what gratifies himself (the flesh) but what pleases the Holy Spirit.  I cannot claim to be spiritual and behave in a fleshly way.

Spiritual Exercise:

On a sheet of paper, draw a line down the middle vertically.  One the left hand side list the “works of the flesh” found in Galatians 5:19-21, then on the right hand side the nine qualities called the “fruit of the Spirit.”  Each day for a week, keep score of which qualities are most evident in your attitudes, thoughts, and actions.  Tally it all up and ask yourself if you are more motivated by the flesh or by the Sprit.

Check back for more on the Spirit-filled life throughout the week.