Training Days (Day 4)
We all know that one person who has it together (whether it’s up close or from a distance), not only are they talented, smart and good looking but they are also compassionate and friendly. There is a story told of such a person in the bible, this person was known as Joseph. Joseph was the kind of child that every parent dreams of, he was obedient, helpful, kind, he loved God, his father must have had such high hopes for him and he would not have been wrong to have them. For Joseph did go on to become one of the greatest leaders of all time and saved his people from death because of it. But I don’t imagine Joseph felt that way when he was covered in dirt, his butt aching from his fall, his knees bruised, staring up at the angry faces of his older brothers. I don’t imagine he felt that way when he heard them negotiating a price for him and planning their cover story, he surely didn’t feel that way when he was being hauled off to prison for a crime he refused to commit and stayed there for years without any indication that he would get out soon. But God had a plan in all that he put Joseph through, and he has a plan for you too.
Before a champion can even begin to contend for the title, he/she must put in the training. Training is hardly ever fun, most of us would often prefer to do the real thing than go over boring routines, than have our emotional muscles tear under the weights of painful experiences. And some experiences are so horrible its hard to imagine any good could come from it, especially when wounds still smart. But the beauty of being a champion for Christ is knowing that you can trust Him to turn your suffering into a lesson and that lesson into a step towards victory. Value the experiences that God allows you to go through and never compare it to others, because we will all experiences training levels unique to us.
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame… Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)
Three main points on this:
- Suffering is always going to be a part of being a champion for christ, Jesus said “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
- But so is joy, see joy comes from a right frame of mind and so it can exist and flourish even in the most dire circumstances. Like the runner whose calves burn, who with his last reserves of strength pushes towards the finish line yet smiles because he knows his victory is coming, you too can press on in the midst of the hard stuff.
- During your training period you may not always know what the next outcome will be. When Joseph sat in the prison alone and away from his family, I’m sure he didn’t fathom that his next placement was prime minister of Egypt, he was probably hoping to be released for the most, worse case scenario he could have died in prison and never be heard from again, but he trusted God.
The reality is that sometimes things happen from who you least expect, at a time when you least expect it, and when it happens you’re tempted to lie flat on your back and count yourself out of the fight… this is the point where self pity and the victim mentality step in, when we start thinking of what we deserve regardless of the consequences because of the hand we’ve been dealt. But I want to encourage you like Joseph to trust God in the midst of the difficulties, the struggles, the unexpected turns of events and to not stop dreaming. Joseph could have given up on God and refused to be used by him, but instead he humbly made himself available to others and to God and he flourished even in prison. He may not have seen it as a time of training until he looked back at it later, neither might you, but one thing was for certain; he trust that his God was good and continued to love Him through it.
What kind of training days are you having? The sudden and unexpected, the predictable yet overwhelming, the gradually increasing or the subtle and confusing. Whatever it might be, trust God to take you through those training days, knowing that he has a unique workout plan suited for your body type and specific sport. And taken note of your training days, God may simply be pruning or cultivating a part of you that you need, in order to do what He has called you to do.
Be a blessing
KellyP
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Kelly is the founder of Royalty Press United. Author of the Gemstone Royals fantasy series, Twist of Faith and Crossroads. Counseling psychologist, proud Grenadian and devoted follower of Christ.
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