Training or Trying

By Kyle Reynolds


Last year, I realized I was getting kinda fat. Too much beer and toaster
strudels I guess. So I decided to take up jogging again. I remember the day I first laced up my shoes and headed out the door. It was raining out but I had made too many excuses for far too long. Today would be the day! Off I went! Three blocks later I was vomiting into a neighbors bush. “I suck at this,” I thought to myself.


Unfortunately, this looks like our attempt at spirituality as well. Something we hear or see at church inspires us to grow and so we go home determined to pray an hour and read through the whole Bible. Five minutes later, we’re playing games on our phone and figuring out our lunch plans. We feel defeated. Who else besides me, sucks at praying? Maybe we should stop trying.


I remember how easy it was to run back in college. I was so in shape and actually enjoyed running. I could go for miles so effortlessly and that runners high was amazing. However, running was never the point back then. I was training for something. I had a big soccer match coming up and I didn’t want to let my team down. I wanted to outrun my defender to the corner and serve up the most perfect assist across the mouth of the goal. I wanted to hear friends cheer me on. I wanted to be ready because the game was going to be exciting. Oh, and I was really good at soccer too. I was on scholarship and could outplay and outrun most of my competition. I loved it!


Now, lets bring this blog full circle, shall we? Why don’t you stop trying, and start training when it comes to your spirituality? When we think of prayer, Bible reading, and other spiritual disciplines as training we don’t get nearly as discouraged. If you read five verses or pray for five minutes, so be it. We’re supposed to be out of shape, that’s why we’re training! Also, may I challenge you with the idea that prayer and reading the Bible are not the point. The point is knowing God. The joy of the game is experiencing Him.


Oh, and eventually, the training becomes effortless too. If you keep training, someday you’ll get a runner’s high. Someday, you’ll look back at the miles you’ve traveled and wonder where the time has gone. When the upcoming game is on our mind, it’s amazing how much more joy there is in training.


May you stop trying, and instead fall more in love with your Creator today.