The 2016 summer Olympic games ended last month with the
top medallists taking gold as their
prize. Great effort and
sacrifice precedes a slot to compete.
Olympians and professional athletes do not just show up at an event and
expect to do well. Athletes understand
the need for practice, in order to change an unconditioned body into a body fit
for Olympic competition.
Mental and spiritual transformation requires similar
conditioning and change to live a fruitful life. Jesus told many stories that illustrate the need for conditioning
our soul. At conversion we are given a
new personal spirit. The need for
change in our mind and heart continue through our whole life. The more we welcome and pursue this change,
the closer we arrive at championship living.
In the book of Matthew chapter 22, Jesus compared our
life in the Kingdom of God to a person preparing himself for a banquet feast at
a wedding.
“ … and the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the
guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
He asked, ‘How did you get in here
without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him
hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For
many are invited, but few are chosen.””
(Matthew 22:10-14).
Wow, this seems like a harsh treatment for a seemingly minor offense of
not dressing properly. Although additional
interpretations may apply, "dressing" in (changing into) proper
clothes seems to indicate the necessity of proper heart attitude toward
preparation and conditioning for our life's journey. Remember, this is a parable (story) Jesus used to make a
point. I believe his primary point is
that He is interested in having disciples committed to a process of change of
heart and not just showing up for an exciting experience.
Pious
people also asked of Jesus, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [the undesirables
of the day] On hearing this, Jesus said
to them, “It is
not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the
righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:16-17).
Doctors are called on the diagnose health problems of sick people. Jesus uses this picture to show that he
heals the "sickness" of undesirable behavior (and sin). I believe we can also infer from this that
unless we consider ourselves "sick" (unprepared and unconditioned)
our hearts are not in a place to receive the completeness of the healing Jesus
has for us. The healthiest thing we
can do for ourselves is admit our need for further change and conditioning to
live a more abundant life. This
involves examining inner attitudes and motivations (avoiding the extreme of
being overly introspective).
All
throughout the teachings of Jesus, he connects the physical (tangible)
condition with the psychological and spiritual (less tangible) condition. Later in the book of Mark,
Jesus speaks of this sickness as a problem of the inner person. "Nothing
outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that
makes him 'unclean.'" ... He went on: "What comes out of a man is
what makes him 'unclean.' For from
within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft,
murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and
folly. All these evils come from inside
and make a man 'unclean'"" (Mark 7:14-23). The point of this list is not as much to try to identify specific
behaviors where we may fall short, but to reveal that each person has an
"unclean" heart that needs to be re-conditioned by a process to clean
it up.
Most people think of
preparation, conditioning, and change in terms of behavior. Examples might be bad eating habits changed
to good nutritious eating, negative talk changed to positive speech, or an
addiction/ bad habit totally wiped out.
However, behavior is merely an indicator of a belief system. Bad behavior (fruit) comes from bad thoughts
and beliefs (root). If you really
believe using illegal drugs are wrong and bad for your health, you won't use
any, If's that simple. Changing behavior requires a change of
beliefs. Trying to justify smoking weed
in certain situations, demonstrates double minded-ness, and threatens any
positive steps you've made toward re-conditioning your thoughts ad
beliefs. For another example, if you
use pornography, you really don't believe in the dignity of women (or men), nor
the value of purity, fidelity, and loyalty.
A change of heart is needed to re-align behavior with a healthily
growing value system. (Note: I am
generalizing here, and please understand that trauma and serious mental haalth
conditions may create exceptions).
Behaviors reveal beliefs, and beliefs reveal who you are
on the inside. Who you are on the
inside is the real you. The only
way to change and condition yourself, is to change your thoughts and core
beliefs. If you claim to be a disciple
of Christ, you will "dress" for the banquet with him, let him treat/
heal your "sickness," and surrender your "unclean" core
being to him for him to change. This is
the miracle of salvation. This is the
progressive work of salvation. This is
essential in receiving the full impact of what Jesus did for us through his
death and resurrection from the dead.
Change and heart conditioning is what we are called to as
Christians. It won't work to show up in
heaven one day unprepared. When Jesus
taught us to pray that Father's will would be done "on earth as it is in
heaven," could it be that he had
the conditioning of our hearts in mind?
Honestly ask yourself a few more questions to help you live a
championship life. Am I "dressed" as a champion? Am I "dressing" (readying myself
for the banquet) so my inner being is prepared for greater things? Where could my heart be more given to
"cleaning" and surrendering to the progressive work of change and
conditioning? Do I have a habit or
pattern of behavior that needs to go?
Might there be something destructive in my life that I have been
excusing as a "part of my personality?" What thoughts and beliefs may be keeping me from further
surrender? Do I need to ask God into my
heart to show me the need for surrender?
God designed you
to be a champion. Let the change begin,
and continue, until your gold medal is presented in heaven! And, let the heavenly results begin now
while you live out champion lifestyle here on earth!
