I love the Olympics. There’s a part of me that always wanted to be an Olympic gymnast or downhill skier. Not that these were actual possibilities in my life – sports are not my forte – but it’s still fun to dream. And fun to watch other’s dreams come to life. The ones I especially appreciate are those who are doing their best, but still seem able to exist in and enjoy the moment of being part of the Olympics.
And as I am glued to my TV screen, I know none of those athletes got there by themselves, or overnight. They have parents, families, coaches, communities that have all supported and walked with them. And there have been countless hours, unseen hours of practice and training, falls, spills, injuries that are also a part of the journey. And yet – because they kept their eye on the prize they were aiming for – they kept going. They keep making the choices that day by day, that take them closer and closer.
We Jesus-followers could learn a few things from these athletes:
- Perseverance – the journey of faith is not easy, and we can’t just sit back and expect life with Jesus to be amazing. It actually requires persistence and daily choices.
- Intentionality – if we want a deep connection to the heart and grace of God, we must be intentional about showing up in places and ways that will help our hearts connect. It won’t happen haphazardly.
- Relentlessness – the world will crowd in, Satan’s voice will tell us we’re too broken/messed up, or that it doesn’t really matter what we do here on earth. But the Truth is, in order to follow Jesus in our lives and out into the world, we have to be relentless in pursuing the heart of God and in living out what we say we believe.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
The beauty of following Jesus, just like being an athlete is that we don’t travel alone. There are coaches and communities who will walk with us. For the next 5 weeks at FAITH we are inviting you to go into Cross Training with us – take a serious look at what it means to truly connect our hearts to God and follow Jesus out into the world. Be willing to try something new in order to make connections. Go out of our comfort zone a bit, training spiritual muscles we perhaps haven’t used before…all for the ‘prize’ – the purpose of knowing Jesus more.
It’s gonna be good – and we’re doing it together. Come, dare to step in – this cross training just might change your life! – Pastor Jane Jebsen
Comments are closed.