Not too long ago, I listened to a message from Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas. This message was about being successful in life. He had some valid points that prompted me to reflect on life.
Dr. Jeffress said, "The key to success in the game is what you do in preparation away from the game." He also said, " You can't imitate someone and what he does to be successful."
In life, this is very true. To be successful in any area of life, you must learn the skills needed and spend a lot of time practicing to be able to perform the skill well.
Missy, our youngest daughter, has been working with her two children, aged 4 and 5, this summer, teaching them to run the barrels and poles. It is a lot of work to catch and saddle the horses for the kids to ride. They are young yet, so they only ride for a short time. It takes as much time to get ready to ride as it does to ride. With each practice session, the grandchildren have shown improvement. At first, they had to be led to learn their patterns. Then they were able to slowly do the poles and barrels by themselves. By midsummer, after competing several times, the grandkids can go at a faster and more competitive pace. This is the preparation for the game, so it can be played successfully.
Another thought I had about preparation came to me as I thought about our grandsons, Waitley and Traven Sharon. They dreamed of becoming great saddle bronc riders in the world of rodeo. To make their dreams come true, the boys began practicing the skill at home. Bucking chutes had to be installed at their arena, bucking horses had to be borrowed or purchased, and friends had to come help as pickup men each time they bucked horses to make sure the boys were safe. Saddle bronc schools were attended. Special equipment was purchased. It took a lot of work and planning for the boys to learn and practice their skills. Now, after several years of learning and practicing, both boys are competing at rodeos all over the United States. They put in the time and effort to make their dreams come true.
These are both examples of preparing for the game so that it can be played successfully.
Now, let's apply this to our lives spiritually. To be successful in our lives as Christians, we need to be prepared and 'practiced up'! Well then, how do we do this? We strengthen ourselves with God before the contests or battles begin.
Let's look at what Jesus did. Luke 4 says it was Jesus' custom to enter the synagogue - He went to church. Matthew 14 tells us Jesus spent time in prayer by himself on the mountainside.
We see that he prayed and attended church. We also know he sought God and obeyed Him. He was prepared for His mission here on earth. Are we prepared? Are we doing what we need to do to ensure success in our Christian lives? Are we preparing for battle? Are we exercising to be strong? Are we planning ahead by nourishing our spiritual lives?
Success in any endeavor takes training. Are you in training now to accomplish what you want in life? If your Christian life is essential to you and you want to glorify God in it, then you must practice knowing and pursuing God!
