Welcome to the Temple Training blog and we hope you are having a great day!
#MotivationMonday is on the blog this week. Some time, some meditation, some soaking up, some worshipping.
Perseverance. I know, this one gets thrown around a lot, and sometimes without a lot of weight attached; today I want to put some load on this barbell of faith!
This is an active verb that we will have to exercise daily. To continue to patiently fight is a gift that is unlike any other and will serve you well in every area of your life. From choosing to finish the last few seconds of your workout to staying the course in what looks like a failing marriage.
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for GREAT JOY. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, LACKING NOTHING.” JAMES 1.2-4 NLT [emphasis added]
Do you ever visualize your perseverance or endurance growing? That is a wild thing to think about. On a spiritual level, that is just mind-blowingly beautiful. God uses so many amazing analogies of nature in His Word, for example: “pruning us”; “good fig vs bad fig”; “mountains that melt before Him”. It’s incredible, physically, but to think about our spirits being fine-tuned into this glorious creation that reflects the…Creator?? OF THE UNIVERSE? What a monumental honor!
His love is so abundant.
Athletes, you lack nothing. By the glory of God and belief in the victory of Christ Jesus, you are complete. All you have to do is choose obedience. Great joy is a byproduct of living a life for the glory of the Most High. Our prayer for each and every believer around the world is that they would cling to the joy that they’ve gained upon receiving Jesus into their hearts, that child-like love. That they would persevere into the depths of the tasks that the Father has called them to, with great joy.
What is more satisfying than finishing a hard workout and thinking to yourself “IT’S DONE!” Or finishing a project that had been hanging over you for months? Or saying yes to God in many small daily things, and finally, He sets your God-dream on a silver platter right in front of you? The most satisfying thing of all will be standing in front of God and hearing Him say “…Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities! Let’s celebrate together!” Matthew 25.21 NLT THAT IS PERSEVERANCE.
Friends, athletes, fam: stay the course! In faithfulness/perseverance we will store up treasures in heaven more abundantly than what could ever simulate fulfillment here on Earth. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength, so let’s get to it.
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