“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

~1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV)

 

There is so much training that goes into every sport that we watch on television.  Every person that plays a sport knows that you cannot enter it blindly.  You must take it seriously and train as much as possible for it.  I know if I were going to be in a marathon, I would train for it.  My body would need the physical training.  In fact, right now my body is going through physical therapy for my neck.  It’s a therapy to train the muscles in my neck to work properly.  I have noticed a huge difference through this training, as my neck becomes stronger and the rotation of it gets to a normal performance.

We are challenged in the above passage of Scripture to train ourselves to be godly.  We cannot expect to become more like God just because we go to church on Sunday.  That’s just like showing up for the game, but forgetting to train during the week.  What would it be like if a football player just showed up for the game on Sunday?  Well, most likely he would miss out on the team’s strategy, the plays for the offense and the defense, the training for his position, and his body would not be ready for the physical demand of the game.

You and I are not a part of a game.  We are living life here on earth.  Training is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.  This life here on earth gets rough at times and we need to train to be ready for the things that will come our way.  Every question that we have has an answer in God’s Word.  There is no excuse to not be training daily in the things of God.  The best part about our training is that though our life here on earth ends, our time with God does not end.  The football game on Sunday ends.  There is a beginning, a half-time, and an end.

Well, thankfully with God there is a beginning in our lives, but there never has to be an end.  In fact, God has placed eternity in our hearts.  He says this in His Word.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men:  yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  ~Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)

To be quite honest with you there were times I played football and didn’t train for it.  The time I trained for it went much better.  I played with a team about 5 years ago.  The team that I played with placed second in the championships.  Granted there were only 4 teams, but it was a lot of fun.  We trained during the week and worked on some plays.  We knew how our team worked and our strategy was well thought out.  We managed to win every game but 1 or 2 because of the time we trained together.

I know what it’s like to train with a team.  I know what it’s like to come up with a strategy.  I have watched teams in action.  However, no training, no team, no strategy can ever compare to what God has in His Word.  God has the best game plan.  He knows the best strategies for life.  He’s not interested in short term training and short term plans.  He’s interested in the training you will do for eternity.

How will you prepare for things you cannot see?  How will you prepare for the attacks of Satan?  How will you grow in God?  What will your strategy be for eternity?  Are you ready to train hard for God?

Dear Father God, Thank You for having every answer in Your Word and for giving me the best game plan in Your Word. I continue to draw my strength from You and pray that I will train to be the best I can be for Your glory!

Living Out Your Best Game Plan,
Sarah