“God is the one who brings supernatural growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:7 TPT)
Every time I sign up to run a marathon, I commit to training intensely for months prior to the date of the race. During this phase, I increase my mileage, work on speed drills, run up hills, stretch, and do cross training. This training period is even more valuable to me than the actual race day. Why? Well...it goes back to my motives for running the marathon distance. The first time I ran the distance, it was to prove to myself that I could accomplish this feat. Now, after seven marathons, this is no longer the case. These days, I train as a form of self-discipline. I push my body and mind to do uncomfortable things in the hope that it will make me stronger. I long to be resilient, but I have yet to attain this prize. I have discovered that the transformation I seek cannot be accomplished by effort alone. Training prepares the way, but sustainable growth is beyond my power.
Discipline opens us up for transformation. It’s like preparing soil for gardening. The hard soil must be tilled. The clods of clay have to be broken up before it is receptive to planting. Once the seeds are planted, consistent watering and weeding are necessary. Even if we do all this work, there is no guarantee of fruitfulness. Similarly, discipline breaks up the clumps of old habits and makes us ready for change. While some of the work is visible on the outside, many of the improvements are deep within the invisible parts of our spirit. We do our part by training consistently. Then, we wait upon God to bring supernatural growth.
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