TRAINING FOR LIFE

This blog post is a culmination of the prior sessions we have had together thus far.  If you go back and read the prior Friday Fives, what will stand out is the continuous encouragement and exhortation to spend time in God’s word. There is so much wisdom, grace, peace, and soundness found in the pages of the bible.  It has the power to make you mature and equip you for every good work.

I've shared how, through the power of God's Spirit, the scriptures help us discover peace, joy, hope, and strength in the face of the challenges and temptations we face. Without question men, ‘a man born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.’ – Job 14:1

Whether you are a follower of Jesus or not, you will encounter difficulties in this life. But for those of us who are in Christ, we have a competitive advantage in this game of life.

And to exercise this advantage well, we must train ourselves in the knowledge of what God has spoken. This training is what equips us for righteous living. Some of us may find ourselves in a constant cycle of poor decisions, and unrest in our minds and we can’t understand why. How well have you trained your powers of discernment?

Hebrews 5:13 states, “For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. [14] But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (emphasis added).

This ongoing practice is formed by cultivating the habit of deeply reading God's word and applying it to our lives daily. This creates the ability to recognize the challenges of life and respond to them considering God’s eternal word and not the momentary pain.

Men your power of discernment is derived from your time spent training your mind and heart in God's word. We see this charge in the book of Romans where the apostle Paul tells us to be transformed by renewing our mind. To renew your mind, you need new information. When applied to your life daily, this information will produce outcomes that reflect the character and heart of God. When your discernment is trained you will experience humility, compassion, and love flowing from your heart towards those around you.

You won’t need to know someone for years to demonstrate love to them. You only need to remember the grace that God has extended to you. The Bible tells us that the love of God compels us. It calls us to love our neighbor, to seek what is honorable and pleasing to God and again we begin to understand this through constant practice of obeying and living out God’s word.

I know this is not a motivational or positive type of message. But life isn't always like this. At times, it can be harsh and unfair, making it difficult to enjoy.

We live in a society today where at our fingertips is the opportunity for us to escape from our lives and be entertained by the lives of others. This does not train us to distinguish good from evil in our daily lives and decisions. This causes us to retreat from the responsibilities of making hard choices. Like choosing to show up and engage with our wife and children; Striving to uphold our values and morals without compromise. And even resolve to end unhealthy relationships.

These are the outcomes of a life that is constantly practicing the power of discernment from the wisdom that comes from God. Taking time to reflect on God's word and examine whether my life is mirroring it. Do my choices honor Him? Would He be pleased with my dating life? My work habits? How do I speak to my kids? Am I honoring my wife when she is not present?

Once again, all the challenges in our lives flow out of our hearts. If God's word isn't deeply rooted there, how can we be sure that what flows from it aligns with His will?

How do I begin to strengthen my power of discernment?

1.    Believe that Jesus has a better way for you to live out your life and seek out that way by reading and studying his word. Also, get a good Study Bible.

2.  Accept that God never promised your life will be easy – "In this world, you will have tribulation but take heart for I have overcome the world." – John 16:33

3.  Get connected with other believers in a sound biblical teaching church – The Berean church in the book of Acts 17, is a great example of how we as Christ followers ought to dive deeper into the messages we hear each week at our local churches.  

The Bible is more consistent with real life than any book or social media Short you will ever read.  When you seek to understand it, God will provide a perspective beyond what you can imagine.

Scripture references for this week’s Blog

2 Timothy 3:14–17

[14] But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it [15] and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (ESV)

Romans 12:2

[2] Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)

Hebrews 5:12–14

[12] For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, [13] for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. [14] But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (ESV)

Romans 15:4

[4] For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (ESV)