Outdoor Object Lesson 103: Train For God

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"Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win. Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore run like that, as not uncertainty. I fight like that, as not beating the air, but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected." 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (WEB)



Trail running is one of the more elite forms of running sports. It requires a high level of fitness and nimbleness. In fact, any form of running requires a high level of fitness compared with many other sports and recreation activities. Some of the longest and most grueling foot races in the world involve trail running. The Barkley Marathon held in Tennessee, USA is only 100 miles long but one of the hardest races in the world. Participants climb approximately 54000 feet of elevation, just less than twice the height of Mt. Everest. Since it began, over 800 people have attempted the race and only 15 have ever finished in the required time limit. Another, The Dragons Back Race takes place in Wales along the spine of a mountain range. It is about 186 miles long and includes 51000 feet of elevation gain throughout the five-day race. The fastest racers run for 18 hours a day.

One unofficial foot race is to complete the Appalachian Trail fastest. The AT is one of the longest trails anywhere in the world. From time to time people attempt to break the standing fastest known time. At 2189 miles long, this is one of the longest trail runs anywhere in the world. It also includes more elevation gain than the Continental Divide Trail through the Rocky Mountains or the Pacific Crest Trail on the west coast of the USA which are both longer.2 Currently the fastest record on the AT is 41 days, 7 hours and 39 seconds held by Karel Sabbe.3 Completing this trail at a run is certainly a feat.

Trail running requires a lot of commitment and perseverance. It requires constant training and a willingness to keep going, no matter how you feel. It requires endurance, fortitude, and tenacity. To be good at trail running, it must be more than a leisure pursuit, it must be a lifestyle. You will never succeed at winning, or even finishing any of the races mentioned above if you only run once in a while. The lifestyle of a trail runner is all-encompassing. Every aspect of your life impacts your performance including what you eat, how much you sleep, how often you train, how you train, and what you wear. What you listen to and read also affect your performance. The best trail runners and athletes in the world know that what you listen too and read affects your thoughts and your thoughts greatly impact your performance.

This is why Paul compared our spiritual life to that of a runner. Trail runners understand his metaphor perhaps even better than the rest of us. Of course, anyone, athlete or not can understand what Paul is trying to illustrate. But trail runners experience each of the parallels made to running intimately. They practice the self-control Paul talks about in every area of life.

Pauls main point is that we need to live our spiritual lives like just like trail runners. Our entire lives must be centered around our one goal --heaven. Our spiritual lives should be as disciplined as that of a trail runner. Every single thing we do impacts our performance. What we eat and drink spiritually, whether we rest completely in God, even what we think about all affect our performance.

Salvation is a gift of God. Nothing we do can will earn us salvation. But, once we accept that salvation, we are called to live to a higher standard (Romans 12:2). Jesus says in another place, we must daily take up our cross (Luke 9:23 NET). And in another, Paul admonishes us to put on the full armor of Christ (Ephesians 6:10-20). Accepting Jesus means you are entering a struggle. Jesus will give you every single thing you need to win. He is your trainer, your coach. But you must be faithful in following him and everything he says to do. When you fail, go back to Jesus your coach, admit your fault, and get back on your training schedule. That is the only way to win the race of life and win the incorruptible crown.

Questions

Do you enjoy running or think it is an evil form of torture?

How does what we think about affect our performance spiritually?

Does what we eat and drink affect physically our performance spiritually? (The answer is yes, think 7 deadly sins)

What will you do to improve our spiritual training today?

Sources

1. Merrill, "The 10 Longest Races in the World," Sports Management Degree Hub, (January 5, 2017), assessed June 11, 2019 from https://www.sportsmanagementdegreehub.com/10-longest-races-world/.

2. Tee Corley, "5 Reasons the AT Will Be Harder than the PCT," Thetrek.co, (March 17, 2015), accessed June 11, 2019 from https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/5-reasons-at-harder-than-pct/.

3. Adam Ruggiero, "Karel Sabbe Smashes Appalachian Trail Record By 4 Days," Gearjunkie.com, (August 29, 2018), accessed June 11, 2019 from https://gearjunkie.com/karel-sabbe-appalachian-trail-speed-record.

Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: Free-Photos via www.pixabay.com

Outdoor Object Lesson 88: Self-Control, Man's Best Friend

Key Verse

“Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (WEB)

Lesson

Dogs are man’s best friend. It has been this way for thousands of years. There is something mysterious yet undeniable about it. Dogs are able to bond with their masters unlike most other animals. There is no other animal as popular for a pet as a dog. One of the key reasons for this is their faithfulness. Dogs can be faithful to their masters even to the point of laying down their life for their owner. Another reason is their usefulness. Dogs are capable of being trained to do numerous tasks. Dogs are incredibly smart and able to learn a wide variety of complex commands. Also, there are numerous dog breads with a wide variety of looks and temperaments. According to the American Kennel Club there are over 340 dog breads around the world. This variety means owners have many options to choose which size, color, temperament or other features suit their needs or desires.

Humans and dogs have a lot in common. Like humans, dogs can read facial expressions, display empathy, jealousy, anger and joy. They can show favoritism to one person over another. They can cooperate with us and with other dogs to accomplish a common task. Dogs are incredibly good at living with humans because they are social animals. In the wild, dogs are pack animals, and this makes forming a social bond with humans natural. Perhaps the biggest reason the two species get along so well is because we have more in common than different. Like humans, dogs have personal preferences and unique personalities. Dogs have been compared to human children in their intelligence and emotional expression. We understand each other well. It also helps that dogs are so loyal. They love us no matter what.

A recent study looking at humans and dogs found another interesting comparison. Both dogs and humans can exercise high levels of self-control. We are both able to control and resist impulses to do things that are not beneficial. This is an important skill for survival. It is key for forming and maintaining social bonds. The most surprising finding that resulted from the study was that after exerting self-control for a period of time, both humans and dogs had a diminishing ability to control their impulses. After resisting their impulses for an extended period in one area humans and dogs were more likely to give into their impulses in another area, to act more aggressively, and to have increased difficulty with problem solving. Basically, the longer they had to engage self-control, the harder it was to resist temptation.1

There is a spiritual lesson here for us humans to learn. The Bible informs us that we will face temptation in this life to do evil. Satan is constantly working to trick us into doing things we know are wrong. Paul tells us that we are in a war against our own impulses to do evil. It is something that we must fight every day. The Bible also warns us not to put ourselves into a place where we know we will be tempted. In the key verse we are warned that hanging out with the wrong crowd will make it hard for us to stick to good morals. If your friends are doing things you know are wrong, things that you are tempted to do, than staying around them is going to make it even harder for you to exercise self-control. The lesson here is that we should avoid putting our self in to tempting situations. As the study demonstrated, the longer we have to exert self-control, the more likely we will give in. We should avoid putting ourselves near temptation when possible. When it is not, God will give us power to resist. This quote states it well, “Those who operate through the Holy Spirit are more equipped to resist temptation.” – Monica Johnson

Questions

What is your favorite kind of dog?

Is it wrong to struggle with temptation?

What methods does the Bible provide for resisting temptation?

When will temptation go away?



Sources

1. Stanley Coren, “Self-Control in Dogs Is a Limited Resource,” Psychology Today online, last updated July 16, 2014, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201407/self-control-in-dogs-is-limited-resource.



Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: Pexels via www.pixabay.com