High quality athletic training, whether for strength, speed, or endurance is hard work. Of course it is. We all recognize that. It just makes sense. And there comes a point in most workout cycles when we ‘plateau’. We stop making gains for a while, and it takes continued hard work to just maintain the progress we have made.
I’ve experienced this in my own life. As a middle of the pack distance runner, I have seen only gradual improvement in my ability over the past couple years, despite logging hundreds of hours and a couple thousand miles on the road. As a follower of Jesus, I’ve experienced this lately as well. My appetite for His Word is inconsistent. I sometimes find myself ‘too busy’ to quietly spend time with God. I find myself feeling anxious about upcoming events…a sure sign that I’m not walking as closely with Him as I can.
In a recent Bible study meeting with a Coach, we came across the discussion question, “Why are so many Christian Coaches stuck and not growing spiritually?” It got me thinking back to training athletes. When an athlete plateaus, what do we do? The answers vary depending on the individual, but maybe we change up the workout routine. Or maybe we simply persevere and work to maintain a great attitude. Just as athletic training is hard work, spiritual training requires great effort as well. Effort that is fueled by God’s grace, but effort nonetheless.
It’s funny. Many years ago, I was under the impression that making a decision to trust Jesus was the desired end. We pray a special prayer, or raise our hand, or walk down the aisle, or get confirmed by our denomination, and that’s it. Done deal. I realize now that this decision is important, but it’s the beginning of the journey. Certainly not the end. Just this morning I read this: