Train Well

Read the Text: Hebrews 12

Memorize the Text:  

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

(Hebrews 12:1-2, CSB)

Consider the Text: Hebrews 12:12-17

The Christian walk goes through times of frustration and fatigue. We battle against the flesh's desires, the world's ways, and various other opponents as we strive to live for Christ. We compete against worldly voices to follow the will and ways of the Lord and live in a constant spiritual battle. The author of Hebrews reminded believers of this continuous reality and encouraged believers to train well to endure the journey.

TRAIN AND PREPARE

We must prepare our lives to follow the Lord's leading and live in faithfulness. The author of Hebrews noted that hands become tired and knees become weak but that the journey must continue. The process of training challenges people because of pain. The body responds to physical training with soreness as an indicator of the work put into training. In the same way, when we train to follow Jesus, our lives experience soreness and weakness from work. This soreness points to the exercising of the muscles and the strengthening. Thus, when we partake in spiritual exercise, our spiritual journey may experience the momentary pain of strengthening. How is your spiritual training? Do you feel the pain and quit, or do you understand the pain as part of the strengthening process?

PURSUE HOLINESS

The author charges us, as believers, to pursue holiness. The concept of holiness points to a life that lives set apart from the world and lives for Christ. As a result, the believer seeks to know Jesus more intimately and to live for him in faithfulness. The pursuit of holiness occurs as we draw near to the Lord. This includes deepening faith through intentional engagement with the Lord through His Word, prayer, and living in His will. This engagement promotes growth and allows us to live according to the ways and will of the Lord. We pursue holiness because of our relationship with Jesus and the desire to live for him. Do you seek to live in holiness? Are you engaging with the Lord to live in obedience before the Lord? 

FAILURE TO TRAIN

Training is necessary because of the constant spiritual battle and journey believers experience. Many believers start the spiritual training regimen well and then give up because the pain and cost of continuing become too great. When a believer fails to train, they will falter in the journey because of their weak faith. Failure to train could indicate a lack of genuine faith. The author of Hebrews used Esau as an example of one who faltered and missed the blessing. Thus, we need to guard our training and commit to continuing it. At the same time, we need to assess and see if a hardened heart and a mental assent relationship alone are the culprits for a failure to train. If this is the culprit, then genuine faith is needed. If you fail to train, is it because of a lack of confidence or because of no faith?

GODLY MOTIVATION

Proper motivation encourages the act of training. The motivation may be weight loss or general better health in the physical realm. In our relationship with the Lord, the motivation must be God alone. We must desire Him from the depths of our hearts and pursue Him with complete faith. We must seek to mirror His goodness and faithfulness to the world. The motto of our life should be something similar to "He died for me, I'll live for Him." Thus, our life becomes sold out and committed to training and living out genuine faith. What is motivating you to live for Jesus?

This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.