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The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle!

Our entire life here on earth is about becoming better. The question is, what do we choose to become better at? For most of us, it’s about “being better at being noticed”. That sounds strange but it is absolutely true. People go to ridiculous extremes to be noticed on social media. In 2018 alone, 259 people died, while trying to impress the world with extreme selfies. Human beings go to extraordinary lengths to find a way of making themselves visible to the world. And the more we try it, the more it sucks us in.

Maybe it’s time we begin focusing on something else to be better at. The world needs people who know how to love and encourage. We are in need of people who are good at reaching out and sharing hope. The world needs peace and joy. It needs kindness, gentleness and self-control. How good are you and I at sharing these things, or are we simply focused on our own selfish ambitions. The ambition of Jesus Christ was to give His life away – ours should be the same. We should practice living for others. And the only way we can do that is to become more and more like Jesus every day.

It’s time to stop playing the same old tune as everybody else. It’s time for the song of sanctification. That means we need to give ourselves to God, so that He can do a work in us that He will continue doing, until it is complete. It isn’t easy and it won’t just happen. It takes discipline, perseverance, persecution and so much practice. But when we have the best “coach” in the universe, we will certainly walk off the field, victoriously. The more we work at being more Christ-like, the less we will bleed in the battle. We will become less affected by what people around us say and do, and become more focused on the mission we have to love.

The more reflective we are of our coach, the more effective we will be in this world. So let Jesus shine through you in all that you say and all that you do.

Have an amazing day!