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I saw this reel on Instagram, and it was of a girl training to run hurdles and just watching her do this repetitive exercise got me to thinking about the things as Christ followers we need to do repetitively in order not to fall over hurdles. But to have muscle memory when we are in times where there seems to be a hurdle in the way.
The girl I was watching was literally going over each step to go over these hurdles as if it were slow motion and the way her body needed to be to make it over so she could be efficient was interesting. It looked like a long process, but it was a necessary process. For success.
Of course, for me if I were trying to do hurdles, I would fall on my face…I’m athletic but not in that way….
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.
Once we become new believers the work beings. This is where we need to start the repetitive learning, so that when trials of the world come up we will have a game plan in place and know what needs to be done to make it over the hurdles we face.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
There have been moments in life that I have struggled so much so that the only thing to do was fall on my face. I felt out of control and really needed to get it together and didn’t know how. But when I finally got to the end of trying to do it myself, I went to God and He would pick me up and teach me how to pick up the pieces and run the race again.
What I learned though was that I needed to be equipped through Christ so that I could be prepare for what was to come and not try to do it myself. I learned that going to God every day is what I needed to be able to live a life fully in Him and for myself.
James 1:2-4 – Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
We need to be encouraged and comforted to know that God is with us and He wants to equip us so that we will know that through all the struggle He will see us through. The way to succeed in this is by reading God's Word, praying and asking to guidance in all things.
1 Peter 5:10-11 – In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.
HE WILL RESOTRE, SUPPORT, AND STRENGTHEN YOU, AND WILL PLACE YOU ON A FIRM FOUNDATION. ALL POWER TO HIM FOREVER! AMEN.