Discipline is Key

1 Corinthians 9:25 (NLT)
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

There are not many things that smell worse than stinky shoes. I'm sure you've come across a pair that has that odor with the extra kick. Maybe it's your brother's basketball shoes. You know the ones that make you gag a little when you pick them up? It's pretty gross right?

It seems like shoes can get stinky pretty easily. It's just the nature of them. You put them on, run around in them for a few days, and they start to accumulate that funky stinky foot odor. But many times because you wear shoes all the time you don't notice the odor, but someone else does. It's easy to become accustomed to the foot odor and not realize...... your feet stink.

This example is a lot like personal growth. It's easy to become so accustomed to your daily activities, routines, and things that we can forget to grow personally. Unless we try to do something beyond what we have already mastered, we won't grow. That principle can apply to several areas in our lives. If we don't push ourselves to grow, we can easily become stinky and not realize it. The bible says it like this: to win, you have to be disciplined in training. You have to push yourself beyond where you're comfortable in natural things and in spiritual things.

So decide today that you're not going to let your routine keep you from spending time with God. Push yourself forward in your relationship with Him and make him a part of your routine and habits. The secret to your failure or your success is found in your daily routines. We make time for the things we care about.

Lord, Please help me push myself as I desire to grow in my relationship with you. Help me to be disciplined in my walk and help me find success by spending time with you by making it apart of my routine. Amen