Okay, I’ve talked about this before, but I must tell you one more thing that stood out when I watched a Netflix documentary following three quarterbacks through their NFL season. Actually, this really stood out to my sister, someone with very little interest in football. To be honest, I was surprised she wanted to watch the documentary. But once she started watching, she didn’t want me to finish without her.
Anyway, not really being into football, she assumed that the quarterbacks basically worked one day a week. Sure, they had practice, but what was that, an hour a day? (Girls!!)
What surprised her was how hard these guys worked throughout the week. Yes, they have practice, but after practice, they keep working.
They spend time with personal trainers sharpening their skills and building strength beyond what they need so that it’s in reserve come game time.
They spend hours and hours watching tape, memorizing plays, and reviewing signals. One guy had his wife quizzing him. Another was listening to calls and repeating them back like he was learning another language in his car.
The hours they put in, not just physically but mentally, were astounding.
Then they spent time with personal chiropractors—not getting a quick adjustment—but hours working out the damage done to their bodies on the field.
And we’ve all heard about Tom Brady’s diet. Surprisingly, the rest of them aren’t exactly chowing down on whatever they want. Their food is based on calories and nutritional count. They have to stick to a super-strict diet all year long.
Even for me, an avid football fan, it was eye-opening how hard these guys work to perform in one game a week.
The same thing is true for the man of God.
We can’t just go to church once a week and assume that’s enough to live as a man of God.
Instead, it takes hard work.
Paul describes it this way:
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NLT)
Living as a godly man doesn't just happen. Just like a quarterback needs discipline and hard work, we must discipline ourselves spiritually and work hard.
How do we train?
-We make prayer a priority.
-We spend time reading and studying the Bible.
-We allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and do all we can to remove and avoid it.
-We resist temptation.
-We don't allow the hurts and pains of our past to control us; instead, we do what is necessary to overcome them.
-We don't just hear God's Word but work hard to implement it.
-We show love when it's easier to hate.
-We're self-controlled when we want to explode.
-We do all we can to maintain purity—including turning off television shows, movies, computer reels, and any other avenue that tempts us to sin sexually.
-We do whatever it takes to live godly lives.
No, it isn't easy—but since when is that the benchmark?
True champions do the hard things—discipline themselves, train, and work hard to become who they want to be.
Are you doing what you need to do to be who you want to be?
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