Somethings happen by accident, great things don’t. Championships are not won by accident. Marriages do not happen by accident. Great musicians are not developed by accident. Wars are not won by accident. Great things happen by tremendous focus, consistency, and discipline. The problem is focus often requires us to say a lot of “no” to say a really important “yes.” Consistency can easily feel boring and routine. Discipline can feel like a fun sucker.
Freedom from sin, shame, and a life without purpose does not happen by accident… The apostle Paul said…
1 Corinthians 9:26 So I run with PURPOSE in EVERY step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.
I would say some people put some purpose in some steps, even fewer put purpose in many steps, and it is rare to meet people who put purpose in every step. When we meet the person who puts purpose in every step we marvel at their success.
We just finished the olympics, and Michael Phelps is for sure the greatest olympian of our time. He wakes us and visualizes the race, his diet is fuel for his body, his training breaks him and builds him, his sleep is on a schedule. There is PURPOSE in EVERY step!
We are not training for the olympics. We are training to show the love of an invisible God to a visible neighbor. We are training to live in victory from sin, death, and the power of the enemy. We are training to live a life that is “rich and satisfying” as Jesus promised. Paul said the way we get to live this kind of life is by living with purpose in every step. We embrace focus, consistency, discipline, and at times suffering because we want to live and be like Jesus. Jesus showed us what this life looks like and how to respond to sin, temptation, the enemy, and suffering.
So where do you need to find freedom? Where do you need to focus? Where do be consistent knowing your are investing in a greater fulfillment than temporary fun? Where do you need to create discipline to live the life that Jesus planned for you?
Write it down right now and Holy Spirit to give you the grace to live it out!
Recklessly, obsessively following Jesus
Brandon Sereg
