Dedication

This morning on my way to the office I saw something that caught my attention. As a matter of fact, I had to look twice to make sure I wasn't imagining this.
Along Avon Road I saw a group of about half a dozen Oakland University students jogging on the side of the road. What makes it so amazing isn't that they were jogging. (If you saw me out there, that would be amazing.) What makes it so incredible is the weather conditions.
This morning on my way to work the temperature was a few degrees above zero with a wind chill likely floating around zero. It was just plain cold. In spite of those conditions, these college athletes (I am assuming they are training for a sport) were out running and getting ready for whatever they are training for.
What if Christians showed that kind of dedication to spiritual disciplines? But many of us don't.
We'll set aside Bible study because there is a TV show we really want to watch.
We are a little tired, so prayer gets pushed aside.
Fasting? No way am I going without something I want.
In my decade of youth ministry I have watched a lot of teenagers say they're serious about Jesus, but their actions betray them. They put far more effort into training and practicing for a sport or hobby then they do spiritual formation. Basketball, for example (since it is the current sport), might consume a few hours every day for practice. But how many of those students are giving two hours a week for spiritual training?
Adults, we are not off the hook. In regards to both our children and ourselves.
Many parents will push their children to practice, practice, practice for a sport. But are they encouraging spiritual training?
In addition, and I believe, more importantly, are they modeling that?
Confession time. I will admit that my spiritual training habits are not what they need to be. These thoughts are aimed as much at me as they are anyone else. I know I should be doing more and dedicating more time to this.
Sometimes it amazes me that we pour hour upon hour into activities, that while not bad, are not Kingdom-focused. Sports are not bad. Hobbies are not bad. Even video games are not bad. But if those things consume so much of our time and energy that we neglect our primary calling, we have gotten things out of order.
Maybe it's time for God's people to show the kind of dedication to spiritual training that I saw on the side of a road in the middle of winter. Maybe that's the change that will make following Jesus a lifestyle, not another activity on our calendar.

shine!
Jason