In a former life, I was a swimmer. And I wasn’t just a casual swimmer; I had high aspirations of swimming my way into the Olympics. Which meant, lots, and lots, and lots of training. Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, I was in the pool from 5:15AM till 7:15AM… and then I headed to school. And then after school, I was back in the pool Monday through Friday from 3:30PM to 6PM. On Saturdays, I was in the pool from 6AM to 10AM. On average, training involved 6,000 yards a day… and to save you on the math, that’s 240 laps every day, or 1,440 laps a week, or 80,000 laps every year. Point being… I swam a ridiculous number of laps over my 20-year swimming career.
Now, the funny thing in all of this… my longest race was only 4-laps long… the 100-freestyle. I was a sprinter, which meant my two main events were the 50 and 100 free. If my coach was mad at me, then he’d put me in the 200 (8-laps) or 500 free (20 laps), but thankfully, that did not happen all that often.
240 laps a day, year after year to compete in an event that was only four laps long… some might call that ‘crazy’, but for me, that’s just what training looked like for the goals I had set for myself.
If you’re at all wondering, ‘Michael, all this is fascinating, but why on earth are you telling me about swimming lots of laps in a pool… what on earth does that have to do with anything?’
Well, here’s why:)…
As I was finishing up 1 Timothy yesterday, I read a familiar verse, but it was a verse that brought all sorts of conviction… and because I know you love being convicted, I’ll share that verse with you.
“Train yourself to be godly.”
1 Timothy 4:7 (NLT)
As soon as I read that one verse, I had a flashback of sorts to all the training I used to do as a swimmer. And after that flashback – a trip down memory lane as it were – I was confronted and convicted with the thought…
DO YOU TRAIN FOR GODLINESS LIKE YOU USED TO TRAIN IN SWIMMING?
I did not have to sit long with that question before I realized the answer was a resounding ‘No.’
I sat with that “No” for a few moments, but thankfully, as God’s Word does – the same verse that brought conviction also brought an invitation.
The word that the Apostle Paul uses in 1 Timothy 4:7 for ‘train’ is the Greek word gymnazō — and yes, I’m guessing you recognize that word. It's where we get the word gymnasium.
The Apostle Paul is deliberately borrowing the language of athletic training in 1 Timothy 4 to describe what growing in godliness requires…
It’s NOT wishful thinking…
It’s NOT good intentions…
It’s TRAINING.
In other words, godliness won’t just happen in our lives. Or to say that another way…
GODLINESS IS DEVELOPED IN US.
And yes, as you may have guessed, godliness is developed in us through consistent, repetitive, and at times, unglamorous practice… kind of like swimming up and down a pool 240x a day.
If there is no plan in place, training won’t happen. Meaning, godliness won’t be developed in our lives if we’re not being intentional in how we walk with God.
Time in God’s Word every day… super important.
Time with God in a quiet place of prayer… very, very crucial.
Time reflecting on what God is revealing to you in His Word and prayer… this is a must.
All three of these practices (or rhythms) are so crucial to you and I being trained in godliness, but can I just give you one that often is neglected if not completely ignored?
I NEVER SWAM ALONE.
Meaning, I trained with teammates. Never once did I show up to the pool, and it was just me. I was part of a team, and as a team, we trained together. We pushed one another to go beyond what we physically-speaking thought was possible. As a team, we helped one another get faster, stronger, and achieve the goals we set for ourselves.
I fell short of my ultimate dream of competing in the Olympics, but you know what, three people on my High School club team competed in the 1988 Olympic Games. And guess what… being surrounded by such high-caliber athletes, well, not only did it help me grow and develop, but it made training so much more enjoyable.
If you are swimming alone right now (metaphorically speaking), please do not forget that you are part of a really amazing team! And if you’re not currently training with your team, well, your team needs you, and you need your team. Together, we can help one another grow in godliness.
If I can be of any assistance getting you into the pool (metaphorically speaking), just let me know. Training, rarely, if ever, is easy, but I do know this, TOGETHER, we can help one another live and love like Jesus.
