Training: Modeling and communicating God’s way of facing life’s issues. (Luke 6:40)
When you want to get better at something, what do you do? You train, right? If you want to excel, whether it be, playing an instrument, getting fit, working up the corporate ladder, graduating with honors, or whatever it may be, you have to pursue, work and study hard. You can’t just “wish” for a better job or a more fit body. It just doesn’t happen that way. You (since no one else can do it for you) must do the work! When YOU do the work, the reward is your accomplishment. You see that your hard work paid off.
If this is true,(I am about to step on some toes. My own included.), then why do so many of us rely on our pastors and leaders to feed us our spiritual food? How can just going to church be enough for our training? Truth is…it can’t! Going to church is wonderful, but it is not enough to train us well for an excellent Christian walk! It is not enough to bulk up a muscular faith, when it comes time to fighting the enemy. Neither is depending on simply “going to church” enough to train up our children, (Prov 22:6) to be The Light (Matthew 5:16) to others! We, you and I, must do the work!
Let me ask you. What would happen to your relationship with your spouse/friend/co-worker/neighbor…etc, if you rarely spent time together? Would that relationship grow? But what if you spent time with him/her and made the effort to really “know” him/her? What difference would that make? Most likely that relationship would flourish?
Friends, we must train often, daily if possible. Read God’s word, study the scriptures, know what you believe so you can give an answer for our hope to others! (1Peter 3:15) Not only will we be able to give an answer, but we will be trained for all circumstances we face in this life. If we train physically, eventually others will see our muscles or a changed appearance, right? In the same way, those around us can see our spiritual muscles or lack of them, by how we live and react to this life. I don’t know about you, but I want to be like Popeye, not Olive Oyl, when it comes to spiritual muscle! Haha
- Our Lord Jesus (I trust He is yours too), knew the scriptures and devoted time to Our Father. He, as a 12-year old boy, amazed the temple teachers with His questions and insights. Would you please ask God to let you into His heart and know how He responds to our spending time with Him? Remember or read about how God the Father responded after some special times with His Son? (Matthew 3:17 and 17:5) He used those times with Jesus to prepare Him for life and death.
- Our Father loves to be with us and train us during times in prayer, worship, study, meditation on Him or His Word, and in our love-motivated service! Let’s Do the Book – Consider Matthew 17:5 b – “listen to Him.” Our training for a godly life starts by listening – to the Spirit of God. Holy Spirit lives in us believers. He does speak. Train to hear Him!
- Enjoy real fellowship with your family, friends, and fellow believers in Jesus sharing about your times of hearing from God. As a believer, I know you heard His Spirit draw you to repentance from sin and faith toward Jesus. (John 6:44) What other times have you trained in listening and heard from the Father? Some in our culture make fun of people who “hear from God”. Don’t let that stop you from training your “ears to hear” what the Spirit says to the church, His followers!