Broken-Down House
expenditures of time and money, the sacrifice of other pleasures, the mental discipline, and the willing submission to the wisdom and authority of coaches are simply some of the rigors of careful preparation. My son, Darnay, has a friend who played college football. We have known him since he was a small boy. I remember his puny little-boy body when he was in Pee Wee Football. Then we watched as he and his family got serious about his football. There were many times when Darnay wanted to do something with his friend, but he was in the gym lifting weights, or out running. We watched as he became more and more successful, even receiving a college scholarship. But what I remember most is how he changed physically. Over time, the weightlifting and exercise he did literally remolded his body. No longer was he the skinny kid I had once known. With lots of muscle mass and minimal body fat, he barely resembled that boy who had grown up around us. Not only was his body larger and stronger, he was faster and more limber, far more versatile and agile than ever before. His body, mind, and reflexes had honed themselves into a single, formidable tool. He had become what he needed to be so that he might enjoy success in the sport he had chosen. This a lot like what God is doing in you through the hardships you encounter. There is a point to the daily drills and the grueling exercises you face. They are not random or pointless bouts of pain, temptation, and challenge. God is training and changing you in mind, body, and spirit. He is building you up from frailty, immaturity, and weakness, and making you capable in areas where before you could only dream of success. Where your spirit tends to be slow, selfish, and lethargic, he is developing in you new reflexes and habit patterns of love and service to others. He is building onto you the muscle-mass of godliness to increase your spiritual strength and stamina. His intention is to rebuild you so fundamentally that you no longer resemble the person you once were. And he wants to teach you how to use this new
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