God's Coaching #163

God's Coaching #163

When traveling coast-to-coast, most people decide to fly. But every June a group of sturdy (crazy, perhaps?) athletes opt to make the trip on bikes. And they do it as fast as humanly possible. Say hello to the Race Across America (RAAM), the most famous transcontinental cycling race in the United States. Starting in 1982, cyclists covered approximately 3,000 miles from Oceanside, California, to Annapolis, Maryland. They battled each other, but the bigger competition may have come from the wind, rain, heat, and extreme fatigue.

There are various race categories, but the solo class is the most demanding. Unlike team racing, in which teammates take turns riding and sleeping, a solo racer must complete the grueling journey alone within 12 days to qualify as an official RAAM finisher. Because the clock doesn’t stop, elite solo racers often sleep as little as 90 minutes a day. Typically, racers can’t sleep more than about four hours a day in order to finish within the 12-day limit.

While sleep is an afterthought for the better part of two weeks, nutrition and fluid intake are crucial. To replenish the energy they’re burning, riders usually consume about three gallons of fluids and 8,000 calories a day. Clearly, RAAM isn’t for the lazy, weak, or faint of heart. Austria’s Wolfgang Fasching, who won RAAM’s solo competition three times and who also climbed Mount Everest, said RAAM was the harder of the two endeavors.

What’s the Score?

For RAAM racers, rest is a luxury they can’t afford. Fatigue is not an option. Idleness won’t get them anywhere. The same thing is true in our Christian life. God’s people are called to be movers, not sitters. We are to be people of action, not inactivity.

Does that mean God wants us to never plop down on the couch? Does that mean we should sleep only 90 minutes a night, like some RAAM riders? No, of course not. The point is, we are always to be on the lookout for opportunities to show kindness and love to others. The Bible exhorts us to “never get tired of doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13). That’s what Jesus did. During his three-year ministry on earth, Jesus was constantly on the move, teaching his disciples, performing miracles, and proclaiming the Good News of God’s Kingdom. He was never too busy to help someone, and he was always searching for ways to show God’s love.

On the Ball

Do you have a normal time each week for relaxation? This week, use that time to do something nice for someone.

Coach’s Comment

As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 2 Thessalonians 3:13