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Training, Not Just Trying As I read through our weekly church newspaper, I came across this excerpt that really had lot's of parallels to the way I approach my training. It was written by John Ortberg, speaker, teacher, pastor, and author. Ortberg begins with Paul's words to the early church of Rome, where Paul urges his hearers to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, not conformed to the world. Here is what Ortberg concludes: When Paul gives a command, it's in a passive voice. He doesn't say "Transform yourself"; he says, "Be Transformed." We can't make transformation happen ourselves; it is something God does to us. But what then is our role in it - personally and in our churches? 1 Corinthians 9:25 says, "Everone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." Here is the reason many people give up on transformation:...we spend ourselves trying to be transformed, when the Bible calls us to train to be transformed. There is an enormous difference between trying to do something versus training to do it. Take for example learning a foreign language. While I cannot speak Russian, no matter how hard I try, I can be transformed into a fluent Russian speaker with training. I'll need to pass my eyes before a new alphabet over and over. I'll need to recite with my mouth and with my mind a new vocabulary. Eventually, the training will allow me to become a new speaker. Training means arranging life around those activities that enable us to do what we cannot do now, even by extreme effort. Significant human transformation always involves training, not just trying. Too often in our churches, people hear us talk about what an amazing person Jesus is. They leave thinking, I've got to try hard to be like him. We're unwittingly setting them up for frustration. When the trying proves ineffective, they eventually quit or rely on external trivialities to pretend they're transformed. Authentic spiritual transformation begins with training, with discipline. As we train ourselves in godliness, we begin to overcome the limits of sinful patterns. The purpose of that discipline is always freedom - training myself to be free of the obstacles that hinder my transformation. Most of us are at the point in our cycling where we are not just riding around. We train, we have discipline, we have a plan, we have power meters, heart rate monitors, cycling peaks, coaches. We are training to be transformed....transformed into someone who can ride harder, longer. As I read the article, I just could not help but think how my spiritual transformation could benefit from the same approach I take with cycling. For, as much time and energy as I put into training on my bike....this is the crown that will not last. Yes, training does "...mean arranging life around those activities that enable us to do what we cannot do now, even by extreme effort". I typically arrange my entire business week...appointments, meetings, calls, etc...to make sure I'm on the bike enough hours, when it's not too hot, too cold, raining...it's pretty much all about the bike....but, what if I put this same discipline & training into my spiritual transformation....I wonder..."Significant human transformation always involves training, not just trying".....maybe I've gotten my training priorities wrong.... Food for thought... Clarke |
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