READ
REFLECT
As competitors, we see change frequently. Changes come in the physical results of being dedicated athletes. But they also happen on the inside with the way we think and feel.
These are the types of changes that we should embrace. But not all change is good. We change for the worse when we pick up a bad habit or get into an unhealthy routine. And if we choose to continue down such a road, it becomes much more challenging to change our habits and routines than before.
1. When is the last time you struggled to break a bad habit?
There is one kind of change that is always good, though. That’s when we change for Jesus Christ. When we decide to follow Him, it isn’t something we should take lightly. Accepting Jesus means making a permanent change and doing our best to avoid things that wouldn’t deepen our relationship with Him.
To follow Him, is to embrace what he wants for us. Sometimes that means we have to leave behind previous lifestyles, interests, and habits. And that may mean leaving friends behind because they don’t approve of someone following Christ. Luke 6:22 reads, “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.”
Whatever we have to give up to change for Jesus is worth it. He tells us, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Think about that the next time you find yourself in a position where you find it less convenient to choose God’s way.
RESPOND
1. Write down two things you can change today to improve your life. One of them needs to be as an athlete and the other for Christ.
2. Commit Luke 6:22 to memory.
