AN ATHLETE
Read 2 Timothy 2:5.
Paul now compares a life in Christ to an athlete who competes by the rules. It would be easy to see these rules as those that pertain to the competition itself. But in the days of the Greeks, the competition began not with the race itself, but with the preparation for the race. Before a race, the competitors had to swear that they had prepared at least 10 months earlier. After all, this was supposed to be a “competition”. And the competitors, they weren’t racing to merely compete. They were racing to win. One could not expect to win if the rules of preparation weren’t adhered to.
When I was in high school, I tried my hand at cross country running. The thing is, I hated running. It made me tired. Labored breathing was not my idea of fun. And so I never trained beyond the normal afterschool program. No running on my own time (well, maybe once) – to be honest, the only reason I joined was because I didn’t want to take PE. On the other hand, those who took it seriously, those at the head of the pack, trained on their own. Before school and on weekends, they ran tirelessly. So when it came time for our first race, they were ready. I was not. All the past pain I was spared by not training hard seemed to collect like water in a large hillside. By the time I was perhaps a half mile into the 3 mile race, the mudslide came pouring down on me. It was painful.
One cannot win (let alone compete) if the rules of preparation are not followed. Our life in Christ is not merely to make it to the finish line. It is to finish well by doing the best we can to do the best we can. The Christian life requires training, hard work, and discipline. It cannot be run with a sort of apathetic attitude. In many ways, our entire life is a kind of training ground. The day is full of training opportunities. When we face a difficult person, that is a training opportunity to improve our patience and grace. When we face a difficult work schedule, that is a training opportunity to build perseverance. When we face an impossible situation, that is a training opportunity to pray and trust. The Christian “athlete” competes by the rules in order to win the crown of glory at life’s end. Are you training to win?
To consider: While life by itself brings on many training opportunities, there are ways we can be intentional in our training. Just like an athlete trains at specific times of the day and on specific days of the week, we, too, are to be intentional in our preparation. If you struggle in this area of intentional training, consider what you might do to improve here. Remember, one can only win if he trains. There are no short cuts.