Staying on Track!
David Brown with his Guide
Tethered to God’s Word and Spirit
(This takes less than 3 minutes to read)
I recently read a short piece about the world’s fastest blind runner, David Brown, of the U.S. Paralympic Team.[i] I’m a former Olympic competitor myself (1976 Montreal Games) so I totally get the concept of training rigor, discipline and the value of my coach’s advice and counsel . . . though never in a sense of being blind.
Think about Brown’s challenge. With hundreds of hours of practice and discipline, I imagine it’s possible that he could stay in his own lane to the finish a straight race like the 100-yard dash! But how does a blind track star navigate the curves in the track in a longer race?
Picture a racetrack in your mind’s eye . . . and the four “curves” that racehorses, NASCAR competitors, and track athletes must successfully negotiate to finish the race. Racehorses, of course, have a jockey . . . and NASCAR racers their drivers. But how does David Brown make the turns?
He stays “tethered” to his coach with a string tied between their forefingers. In Brown’s case, his coach runs the race with him. He “guides“ Brown’s race with step-by-step cues . . . his coach is never far from him. “It’s all about listening to his cues,” says Brown.
Think for a minute about your personal race of life. Who or what are what are you listening to? Who’s guiding you? What’s the source of your cues? Who are you tethered to?
Good news! We have a guide in the race of life . . . a Divine Guide who doesn’t need a string to help us navigate the bends and curves of life. He’s connected directly to our heart and soul, but unlike David Brown’s running mate, the string of God’s Spirit can be easily loosened at any point in the race. Such is the conundrum of human free choice.
How then do we stay tethered to God’s Word and Spirit in a world where the ambient noise of social media and busyness serves to drown out his counsel? The answer is simple, though not easy to master. We must listen to his cues through a set of spiritual disciplines, not unlike the training regimen of an Olympic athlete.
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). That’s an important precept of life. Why? Spiritual growth and grace help us to navigate the challenges of life . . . to persevere in faith . . . and to “win the crown of righteousness,” said the apostle Paul to his protégé, Timothy.
Ask yourself these spiritual “training” questions as you evaluate your tether to God’s Spirit.
1) Do you make time for spiritual contemplation and reflection? You will never stroll into white space on your calendar; you must take command of some portion of your daily or weekly schedule.
2) Do you read God’s Word for transformation or information? Many of us read scripture as if we’re preparing for a weekly exam . . . just the facts. Instead, stay tethered to the life change aspect of God’s Word.
3) Are you being schooled in the school of Psalms? Psalms often give “voice” to our deepest emotions and concerns. Read them and they will read you, pray them and they will change you.
4) What about journaling? My journal has helped me catalog thought patterns and reevaluate, retool, and redirect my life’s trajectory. In its truncated and naked transparency, it’s very confidential—just between me and God.
5) Are you tethered to a trusted Nathan in your life? You will recall that Nathan was David’s accountability after his fling with Bathsheba. If Nathan was in the game before David’s fascination with her, things may have gone very differently. Accountability is vital to a spiritual rhythm, because small stumbles can easily trap us and grow into destructive life habits.
Develop a set of spiritual disciplines . . . and tether yourself to the cues of the Holy Spirit. He’ll guide you in the race of life.
Tom
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day.“
2 Timothy 4:7-8
[i] Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread, February 2020, February 5, How to Stay on Track.
Note: “Metamorphyx Insights” are taken from Metamorphyx: Embracing Life Experience, Life Change, and Life Purpose. Each represents a significant learning or application on your personal Metamorphyx Journey. Find Metamorphyx on Amazon, B&N, or Apple iTunes.