Have you ever wondered at the skills sportsmen display during competitions?  I am often amazed by how a soccer player dribbles past an opposing player.  I’m also fascinated by the accuracy with which a badminton player drops a shuttle cock to a particular spot from an almost impossible position.  Is the athlete skillful because he is talented?  Probably.  But if you were to ask him the reason, he may tell you something similar to what Thomas Edison once said: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”  I know for a fact that many sportsmen, despite their being very talented, had to practice a particular move or skill, again and again, many times, before you could see them display that level of amazing skill during competitions.  If you want to attain a high level of excellence, you need to work hard.

The same principle applies to spiritual matters.  I know of Christians who have great wisdom in handling life crises.  I know of Christians who during difficult moments in life and when under a high level of stress, are able to navigate through such times and then emerge unscathed and victorious.  But do not be mistaken: it is not without tears nor did they find it easy.  But they pulled through.  How?

They worked at something—godliness.  With godliness, comes blessings, strength, wisdom and everything that is needed to ride life’s storms.  Thus, Paul once urged his disciple Timothy:

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.  (1 Tim 4:7-8).

It is not possible to be godly and strong if you keep cutting corners in your spiritual exercises.  No, you need to make special effort or even sacrifice some things if you hope to attain godliness that brings real victory in life.  How can you be godly if you keep missing worship service, do not pray, live a sin or self centred life?  Paul understands that every top athlete needs to discipline himself and train very hard.  If you want to be a godly person and be blessed by God, you also need to be serious about spiritual training.

Lazy people will never succeed spiritually.  I urge you to live a disciplined life: be faithful in attending Sunday Worship Service.  Read your bible daily.  Pray fervently to God every day.  Flee from sin and sinful habits.  Exercise self control.  You need to re-arrange your priorities in life.  You cannot love the world and love God at the same time.  You cannot love sin and be godly at the same time.  You need to make a decision to make godliness a top priority.  Paul says: godliness will help you through this life and even the life after this life.  You need to regard it as a precious gem and not let anything take it away from you.

I urge you to re-prioritize your life: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt 6:33).  Put God first.  The things that you really need, God promises that He will give them to you.  He will not withhold anything that is critical for your happiness.  But you need to put Him first in your life.