Equipped

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 – “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.”

Training helps us to be equipped.

I saw this reel of a girl training to run hurdles and just watching her train her body by doing these small repetitive motions really made me think about how often we do the same things over and over and we can think we are getting good results but because we never move past that stage we don’t know where we are.

This girl’s training for the hurdles was meticulous and she had a coach helping her tweaking and adjusting as she went along. As I continued to watch the video, I saw that all the repetitive work she was putting in made it look like running the hurdles look effortless.

1 Timothy 4:8-10 says, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.”

We all need to be better equipped and in reading our Bible and praying we can better equip ourselves for whatever may come in life. The Bible talks about girding yourself in 26 different passages.  It means to put on your belt and protect yourself.

We equip ourselves by being prepared and in Luke 12:35-37 we read, “Keep your loins girded and your lamps burning, And be like men who are waiting for their master to return home from the marriage feast, so that when he returns from the wedding and comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are those servants whom the master finds awake and alert and watching when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will gird himself and have them recline at table and will come and serve them!”

These servants were ready at any moment for when the master came back and ready to whatever he had for them. They were waiting and anticipating his return. We need to be ready like this for when Jesus returns. We need to be equipping our hearts and minds for then the master calls.

I don’t like to run and really, I find exercising to be exhausting but I still do it. I do it because I know in the end of it, I’ll be in better heath and better equipped in hopes for a longer healthier life.

Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

I find this to be true. Discipline is not enjoyable, but the results are amazing. When we set a goal of taking time with the Lord every day, we may find it hard to set that time aside at first but once into it we crave that time and will seek it out. That end result is fulfillment of the Lord and His Word.