Training

1 Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Everyone who plays a sport professionally goes into strict training, and focuses on totally on that sport. They do this so that they can be the best player possible. They give 100% effort and 100% of their time to become the best they can be. They do this so that they can win a championship, that will last only last for a short time. People should put that much effort in to their spiritual lives, because that crown we win in the death and resurrection of Jesus will last forever. Even though not many people see this as training, it is. You train your heart, mind, and soul to believe all the wonderful things God has done for you. So instead of putting all of our time into something that will not last for a long time, we should put that effort into studying God’s word.

There are many people who play professional sports that do have very strong Christian faiths. Matt Diaz of the Atlanta Braves is the first one that pops into my head. He is known in the clubhouse for being a very quiet down to earth kind of guy. When his teammate Jordan Shafer got busted for HGH, Matt Diaz gave him a call, and helped him train to stay in shape to make a come back following his suspension. Diaz also helped Schafer to get a relationship with our Heavenly father. Diaz took him to church with him, and read him bible verses to help him get through this difficult time in his life. Now Jordan Schafer is the starting center fielder for the Braves, and not only does he continue to train for baseball, he also tries to keep up his spiritual life as well. Those are the kind of athletes that should be our role models.