Bigger. Faster. Stronger

Ready

"Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." - 1 Tim. 4:7-8 

Set

Growing up, sports were my life. No matter what the season, I had a ball in my hand. When I got to high school, I realized that I had to train with more focus and intensity. I needed to get bigger, stronger, and faster. Over 95% of an athlete's time is spent training and less than 5% competing.

Training prepares us for game time. We make sacrifices to get better. Tim Tebow says "hard work always beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." Some athletes want the results without the work, but that's not the way it works. Our desire needs to be matched by our do.

Spiritually speaking, most of us spend very little time training for life. We call it devotions, but we aren't very devoted. We call it quiet time, but then rush through to tackle the noise of the day. If we're honest, most of us don't even have a plan. And our hit-and-miss approach is littered with excuses that we're too tired or too busy. We need to put ourselves in position for God to do what only He can do - transform us from the inside out.

We need to show up and put in some time. We can't be weekend warriors. If we want to experience real life-change, we have to train. Make a sacrifice, get a plan, and show up for the workout. There are no shortcuts to godliness. We must do the training and let God do the changing.

Go

1. What are some things that you could do on a daily basis that will increase your spiritual capacity?
2. If you could do one thing for maximum spiritual growth and life change, what would you do?

Workout

2 Peter 1:3-4 Hebrews 12:10-12 Philippians 2:12-13 

Overtime

Father, give me the desire and discipline to begin and stick with a spiritual training program that increases the capacity of my heart and soul. When I show up and train, you will bring change from the inside out. Amen.


About the Author :
Jimmy serves as the Mid-Atlantic Vice President of Field Ministry for FCA. As a twenty-year medical fitness leader and former National Director of FCA Health & Fitness, he hosts Fit Fridays on 95.1 SHINE FM. Jimmy is an author of four best-selling books - WisdomWalks, WisdomWalks Sports, PrayFit, and One Word That Will Change Your Life. He is a coach, cyclist and triathlete. He and his wife, Ivelisse, started a cancer foundation called believebig.org following her victory over cancer. They reside in Maryland with their four children. You can e-mail Jimmy at jpage@fca.org.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes, All Rights Reserved 2014 ©

Don't Miss the Little Things

I received this devotional from the FCA this morning. It's put in a perspective that sports fans understand, but the idea is still the same whether you love sports or not.

FCA Daily Impact Play

Little Things

Ready :
"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."- Matthew 25:21 (KJV) 

Set :
One of my favorite things about John Wooden's coaching was that he taught his players each year to put on their socks and tie their shoes properly. You'd think college-age athletes could already do this, but Wooden took nothing for granted. He paid attention to the little things which made the big things come easier for his teams over the years.

Of course, Coach Wooden wanted to teach his players a lesson: if they were going to play in his program, they had to put aside what they wanted to do and follow his plans for the team. That discipline in the small things gave his teams great results, winning ten national championships and setting an example for us of the fact that little things make the biggest difference.

Sometimes in our walk with the Lord, we neglect what we might perceive as "the little things" because we get too busy. We forget that daily time with God in His Word, prayer, and serving others all help us learn to be faithful. However, as we learn from the parable in Matthew's Gospel, we can't assume we'll be given many things until we're first faithful with the few. These seemingly small steps make a huge difference in how we'll handle bigger responsibilities.

To serve the Lord, we must put aside our own selfish desires and follow Christ in the little things. After all, He gave up His position as God to endure life as a man. Scripture says, "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Phil. 2:8) As a result of His willingness to serve faithfully, God exalted Him and gave Him the name above all names.

Go :
1. What little things do you need to do to help your team?
2. What small steps can you take toward faithfulness in your spiritual walk?
3. How can you be faithful in all areas of your life?

Workout :
Luke 16:10-12; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

Overtime :
Thank You, God, for Your faithful love toward me and for helping my attitude today be like Christ's. Amen.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes, All Rights Reserved 2014 ©