No Shortcuts to Proper Training, Physically or Spiritually

You don’t have to be an avid sports fan to appreciate the hard work and dedication required to become an elite athlete. Whether we’re watching football, baseball, basketball, soccer, one of the Olympic events or some other sport, we see competitors displaying feats of skill and physical prowess most of us could never imagine attempting, let alone accomplishing.

 

Right now, another football season is winding down, with only the NFL playoffs and college football championship game remaining. But each year it seems the players’ athleticism rises to another level.

 

How does this happen? Innate talent and physical giftedness are part of it, no doubt. As they say about basketball players, you can’t teach height. Being able to leap more than three feet in the air isn’t something they can teach in gym class. And you’ve either got “fast-twitch” muscles or you don’t. 

 

But natural ability can take a person only so far. Many high school jocks never succeed at the collegiate level, and only an infinitesimal percentage of college stars ever advance to the professional level, much less become superstars.

 

Many things factor into the making of stellar athletes, but one they all share is massive amounts of physical training, something we couch-potato fans never see and rarely appreciate. All we see is how they play on game day, not the behind-the-scenes workouts, practices, conditioning, weight training and other elements designed to maximize their performance. There’s no substitute for this – and no shortcuts.

 

Have you ever considered that this is true for spiritual growth and maturity as well? Think of your favorite radio Bible teacher, conference speaker or Christian author. Even if they’ve just recently gained wide public recognition, they didn’t become overnight spiritual successes.

 

Think of Abraham, who received God’s promise that he would become “the father of many nations” (Genesis 17:4-5), even though his son Isaac wasn’t born until he was 100 years old. Or Moses, who after killing an Egyptian in defense of a fellow Hebrew, fled to Midian where he lived for 40 years before the Lord called him to be His instrument in freeing the Israelites from more than four centuries of slavery.

 

The apostle Paul, following his life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ while traveling with the intent to persecute more Christians, spent about 12 years being ‘seasoned’ in Damascus before Barnabas stood up for him and introduced him to Jesus’ disciples in Jerusalem.

 

In each instance, God used extended period of waiting to prepare those men for instrumental roles of leadership. It might not have seemed like it at the time, but they were being trained for what the Lord wanted them to do. This is one reason Paul would later write to his protégé Timothy, “…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).

 

Some of us are diligent in pursuing physical training, whether going to the Y or gym regularly or enduring long periods of running to prepare for events like marathons or triathlons. That, as Paul said, “is of some value,” but are we as consistent and determined in the pursuit of godliness through spiritual training?

 

What does this spiritual training look like? It can take many forms, and it varies from one person to the next. But we can’t draw closer to the Lord unless we spend time with Him in the Scriptures, in prayer, and in the company of fellow followers of Jesus.

 

In another of his letters to mentor young Timothy, Paul wrote, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Understanding the Scriptures and knowing how to apply them doesn’t come by osmosis. We need to read, study, meditate, memorize and strive to put what we learn into practice.

 

Many times in the Bible we see the fathers of the faith devoting much time to prayer. Jesus Himself regularly set aside time for praying and communing with God the Father, admittedly one of the sometimes hard to understand aspects of the Trinity. But if Jesus found prayer essential, how can we think otherwise? This is why we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray continually” or “pray without ceasing.” Prayer should be as foundational for our spiritual well-being as breathing is to our physical welfare.

 

And we can’t succeed in the pursuit of godliness on our own. The Lone Ranger might have been a TV icon of the 1950s, but trying to thrive as a ‘lone ranger’ Christian is a sure path to failure. This is why the writer of Hebrews admonished, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Jesus Christ is going to return. The Bible promises this, and God has never failed in His promises. It may be soon, or maybe not. Either way, we must resolve to devote ourselves to spiritual training, just as an athlete must be dedicated to rigorous physical training so he or she can excel on the field or arena of competition. Only in that way can we be confident to excel as “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). 

Treating Time as an Ally, Not as an Adversary

For much of my life I’ve tended to regard time as an adversary. It either moves too fast or too slowly. When I was young, time seemed to move at snail’s pace. Now that I’m older, it advances like it’s racing on the German autobahn. “Tempus fugit” we’re told in Latin – time flies. But if we’re eagerly anticipating something, it still can’t pass quickly enough.

 

But time can be an ally. I’ve written before about resuming an old pastime, taking drum lessons. I decided instead of tapping my steering wheel while listening to music on the radio, I’d get real drums again to entertain myself. However, I realized I needed some lessons to remove the rust and sharpen my latent skills. 

 

Watching videos of professional drummers and marveling at their skills, I wondered how they could play so fast. The answer, I’ve discovered, is threefold. Most of them have innate talent and ability beyond anything I possess. Then there’s technique, learning how to do various rudiments properly. The adage, ”Practice makes perfect,” is only partly true. It’s better stated, “Perfect practice makes perfect.” You can’t learn how to do things right if you always practice doing them wrong.

 

But there’s a third element to skill and expertise, whether it’s playing drums or any other worthy pursuit in life: TIME. Without exception, the greatest drummers through the years merged talent and technique with time to excel at their craft. Those still performing, as well as icons remembered from the past, all invested countless hours over many years to develop into celebrated percussionists.

 

In case you’re not into drums and about to lose interest, my point is that to excel at anything – being a teacher, surgeon, athlete, salesperson, zookeeper, law enforcement officer, architect, author, artist, entrepreneur, or chef – takes a combination of talent, technique…and time.

 

Since it’s still early in the year, some of us might yet be thinking about trying to grow spiritually. ‘How can I grow closer to the Lord? How can I enhance my understanding and mastery of the Scriptures? What does it take to truly become a man or woman of God?’ 

 

In this case, it doesn’t require talent. Intellect and education may be helpful, but they aren’t prerequisites for a flourishing, fruitful faith. God loves “childlike faith.” And there are many “techniques” available to promote spiritual growth. Christian publishers have generated countless millions in revenue through books offering myriad perspectives on that topic. Basically, whatever works for you. 

 

But the one non-negotiable for spiritual growth is time. Way back in 1981, my family and I moved to Chattanooga, Tenn. where I would become publications director for CBMC, a ministry to people in the marketplace. I was a relatively new believer then, so whenever I attended a Bible study or conference, I was like a sponge, soaking up everything I heard and learned.

 

I interacted with mature believers who seemed to know the Bible backwards and forward. For virtually any topic, they could quickly turn to applicable Scripture passages. They did this without being prideful or showy; they simply knew the Word of God.

 

‘Will I ever have a command of the Scriptures like that? I don’t think so.’ And yet, more than 40 years later, here I am writing a blog about what the Bible has to say about everyday issues. I edited a Christian magazine for 17 years, and have been blessed to write and edit a number of books related to the practical value of biblical truth for everyday life.

 

I wouldn’t dare compare myself with the many folks who became my spiritual heroes, but over time I began to grow consistently in my faith and my grasp of the Scriptures. That’s been the key: time.

 

Time in the Word, reading and studying it every day whenever possible. Time meditating on Bible passages and seeking to commit them to memory – “hiding them in my heart,” as the psalmist writes in Psalm 119:11. Time reading quality books by trusted Christian authors. Time sitting under the teaching and preaching of gifted church leaders. Time meeting with other committed believers, serving as “iron sharpening iron,” as Proverbs 27:17 teaches.

 

Three brief passages from the apostle Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy speak to this. Paul explains the proper motivation: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

 

In another passage he underscores the importance of striving to understand and apply what the Bible teaches: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 

And the third concerns engaging with others about God’s Word and helping them to pass its truth on to others: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2).

So, is spiritual growth one of your heart’s desires for the new year? Take your time!