You don’t just happen into excellence. You don’t just make expert level at anything by accident.
Paul the apostle wrote, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 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. 26So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” I Cor. 9:25-27
According to the verses above, the idea of expertise requiring careful discipline extends to matters spiritual every bit as much as it extends to athletics or music. Why then do we so often sit back and think we shall attain spiritual maturity by some fluke of nature or providence?
Understand me here I am not speaking of salvation. Salvation is achieved only by simple faith but salvation and spiritual maturity are about as far apart as Jasmine Choi and a fourth grader who just got her starter flute.
Our call is not just to Heaven. Our call is to become fully developed followers of Christ who know the authority of Christ and how to use it.
Now, Even this work of disciplining ourselves is not done alone. Jesus saved us and He matures us, but maturity requires us to cooperate with what the Spirit brings into our lives.. It requires us to face life’s challenges as training opportunities rather than as curses. It calls us to respond according to the Scripture in the midst of our circumstances, whatever they might be.
So let me ask,,, What training opportunities do you have before you right now? How does the Spirit of God want you to cooperate with Him in those opportunities to grow your own spirituality?
Lillie-Put 
Pastor J, it’s like you read my mind this is the very issue God has been showing me over the last two weeks and my post today is the result of the last two weeks.
Praise God for His confirming words!
Thank you so much, Pastor J, for helping us look at disciplining ourselves and life challenges in a different way. I am paying particular attention to the part where you said to respond according to scripture! And I have been given a challenge and am still in the midst of it, so how wonderful of Him to give me help through your post. He’s training me to trust Him and rely on Him. .. .and to just wait a bit before freaking out or complaining. To see how each challenge is going to also be a chance to prove His faithfulness. To see how I CAN rejoice when things are going wrong. God bless you!
May God bless you sister with great growth and power as you respond Scripturally to your challenges!
“Cooperating with Holy Spirit” – the way to go. Who are we to question? As we submit, He undertakes and enables and empowers us and He gives the victory.
It always amazes just how often I do question though.