July 31st – Maximum Load

Taking It to Work:

Do you know what the best coaches do? They push you. Any athlete worth mentioning, has had a coach, or likely many coaches, that pushed them beyond what they would have ever done themselves. Coaches made us get up early, and put more weight on the bar. They pressed us for those extra reps, laps, and lunges. They forced us to endure pain, discipline our eating, and sacrifice the comforts that all our friends had, all so that we would be the best that we could possibly be. That’s what a good coach does – he encourages you all the way.

As believers, we have a call from God to grow spiritually stronger, to grow our relationship with Him. By the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, comes our ability to turn from sin, our ability to trust and have peace in a crisis, our ability to understand Scripture, the ability to hear the Holy Spirit, to serve, and to live generously. This is God’s desire for us, and should be our desire too. But that kind of growth, that kind of Christian maturity, usually does not happen under a light load. In other words, if life is too easy, the way we like it with not much weight on the bar, we will never get strong spiritually, and The Ultimate Coach, well, He knows that all too well.

Fortunately or unfortunately, it just so happens that this fallen world we live in has plenty of trials and stresses to load up our bar. On one side are our home and personal challenges, relationships and temptations, and then on the other side, the workplace with budget pressures, schedule deadlines, and people struggles. Put together, they can overload our physical and mental limits. It sometimes can seem like too much weight, and often it is.

The Lord is reminding us today that He is there with us. His hands are on the bar, and with His help, not only will we get through it, we will emerge stronger and better for it.

Don’t worry. Your Coach knows your limits, and the growth that extra weight will bring. Have faith, and push hard, as His Word works in you, today.

James 1:2-4 (ESV) –  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Numbers 11:11 (ESV) – Moses asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?   

Matt 16:22-24 (ESV) – And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”  But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Listening to the Holy Spirit:

My hand is just. There are many degrees of load, as many as My children, and all must carry their burden. Only to them are they given enough, and to you, only enough. There are those who sin, that in their walk their own hand hinders them, but the load of life, given perfectly through the Father, will draw and perfect those called to His purpose. They who lose heart, lose only that they would find the pleasure of this life more appealing for a time, but the load of the believer elevates to a place no pleasure can. You are able to walk. The pressure is not to be borne alone. I call each to a place of growth in struggle, that they would grow in strength and faith, and train the next generation for the same. Do not despise your testing, but find My Spirit as I speak to you, that you would stand up under it and win the crown. Do not envy another; their load would either spoil or crush you. I give you ideal weight, that your strength increases in My presence. Hold firm to your faith, and My hand will lift your own.