"Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." -1 Timothy 4:7-8
It's absolutely crazy what athletes go through in the NFL Scouting Combine. A few days of testing that will most likely determine if they are drafted or have a future in the NFL.
There are training facilities across the country that help those NFL hopefuls prepare for Combine's physically challenging events including the vertical jump, 40-yard dash, 3-cone drill and bench press among others.
In addition to the drill work, these facilities do a number of tests including putting athletes in a "bod pod," to test the body's fat count, as well as doing electromagnetic testing of the nerves and joints. There are nutritionists, orthopedic surgeons and even interview coaches.
Combine training last about 8-10 weeks. That's a lot of training for just a few days of testing. Especially when the most talked about event--the 40-yard dash--lasts less than a minute. That's a lot of work when you aren't guaranteed to make a team and you have the possibility of getting hurt at any point.
Even if the athlete makes the final roster of an NFL team the average career in the NFL lasts about 3 years. Most of the athletes training will be back in the job hunt after only a few years of getting "hired."
Can you imagine if that much time was put into a more reliable job like training to be a better disciple of Christ? What if that time was used to journal your daily struggles with sin? What if for 10-weeks straight for at least 8-hours a day you read your bible? I cannot even begin to comprehend how much it would change my perspective.
But it kind of sounds crazy right? What would we be training for anyway? Well, as Christians shouldn't we be training for our daily battle with sin? If we are truly aiming to be most like God's image then we will constantly be involved in arming ourself against the devil's charming ways. That's a serious struggle.
NFL scouts, coaches and general managers are tough, but think about how hard Satan fights against us. We need to grow spiritually and be prepared for when that time comes every day. How do you that? You arm yourself with God's word. You aren't always going to be carrying your bible around with you, so you need to have your weapon permanently attached to you through scripture memory.
Why is this the best method to fight sin? Jesus did it. He defeated Satan with scripture when he was tempted in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Take some time this week to look over some verses that can arm you when your tempted. And if you are in Christ you are guaranteed a win--spending eternity in Heaven. And guess what? If you have a relationship with Christ you'll never have to worry about Him cutting you from His "team."
1) Am I spending as much time diving into God's word as I am training for athletics?
2) Where do I need to tone up in my walk with Christ?
3) Have I been arming myself with God's word by memorizing scripture?
2 Cor 10:3-5
Hebrews 4:12
Ephesians 6:10-20
Psalm 144:1
Psalm 119:11
Lord, help prepare me for my daily battle with sin. Arm me in my fight through memorizing your scripture. Lord, please give me the desire to draw closer to you and to your word. Lord, train me for battle.