Terms

I have been enjoying the Olympic Trials as hopeful athletes compete for a place in the upcoming Summer Olympics.  They have risen to the top of their sports to vie for a place on the Olympic team.  I was watching the swimming competition and found the commentary and competition very interesting.

A certain athlete had tried for a place on the team for the past three Olympics.  She was called, by the commentators, a "free spirit" that basically trained the way she felt suited her best.  They made this comment with a certain amount of respect that she would do what the old Sinatra song said ... train "My Way!"  She approached life and training on her own terms, even if someone who might know a thing or two had some helpful advice.

The commentators called this "independent thinking."  I called it "trusting in your own understanding (Proverbs says don't do this)."

God's Word reminds us that our path and journey to God's salvation is work but that Jesus (the one who defined and is able to perfect our faith [Hebrews 12]) can and will lead that work toward His perfect will.  Jesus can do that if we submit to His terms and die to our terms.  Because eternal life is not on our terms but is always on God's terms.  After all, He did all that work and paid the entire price for our salvation.

In our life, trusting in self and relying on self gets us lost in the same places we have always gotten ourselves lost.  In the Olympics trusting in your own "way" and how you "feel" about training gets the same results it always has. This three-time Olympic Trials competitor lost by .015 seconds.  She is going home yet again.  She did it her way.  May we approach the throne of grace on Jesus' terms ... not our terms.  Randy