Develop A Plan

Develop a Plan

What if . . .

a construction worker, right off the site, started as offensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints?

a recent college graduate was named CEO of General Electric?

a driver’s education student decided to drive an eighteen-wheeler from Dallas to Minneapolis?

an athletic trainer wanted to perform brain surgery?

Ridiculous, of course . . . with no good endings. In each case, the individual would need training and practice to achieve the desired level of competence. And that doesn’t just happen—moving from point A (idea/dream) to point Z (accomplishment) takes a plan, a thoughtful and practical step-by-step process. Training and practice are certainly necessary with running success. Anyone can buy a nice outfit, register, get a number, show up at the starting line, cheer when the gun goes off, and maybe even run a mile or two. But only those who have trained by putting in the months and miles will finish the marathon.

That’s the point of Hebrews 5:14, too, which says, “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.” Babies don’t suddenly chomp on steak. They begin with milk; then, as they grow and develop, they eventually become mature enough physically to handle solid food. Baby believers (new Christians) also need to begin with baby steps. As they grow and train, eventually they mature to where they can “recognize the difference between right and wrong.” To go from A to Z in the spiritual life also takes a plan, a training schedule.

The Runner

She wanted to run. She really did, especially after seeing how much her friends seemed to enjoy the experience, not to mention their weight loss. In her midthirties, she knew she ought to have a regular exercise program for her health and to keep her weight down. So that Wednesday in September she decided to go for it, and she signed up for the Turkey Trot, a 5K race just before Thanksgiving. The next day she bought shoes, shorts, and socks at the running store. And after work on Friday she went for a run around the block a couple of times. That wasn’t so bad, she thought, and a few days later she tried it again. She figured she would run every other day, usually in the afternoons. But with the daylight hours decreasing and the temps going down, she missed a day here and there, especially when she had to work late. On the big day, she drove to the park and walked to the starting line, eagerly anticipating her first race! Caught up in the excitement, she began fast and ran well for the first half mile or so. But after a mile she was gassed. So she quit . . . frustrated and disappointed with herself.

The Race

Like the woman in the story, many people can’t reach their goal, so they quit. Others give up running even sooner than she did. They go out and run and are soon exhausted. Maybe they even try that approach a few times, but then they decide they can’t do it and hang up their shoes. In both cases, the runners don’t succeed because they run without a plan. Unlike other aerobic activities, building running endurance can be a slow process. Being able to jump out of bed, throw on sweats, lace up the shoes, and go for a quick five-mile run (never having worked out) would be nice, but that’s not reality. On the other hand, with a training plan anyone without serious physical limitations can become a runner. The plan takes you from point A to point Z, helping you reach your goal and your purpose for running in the first place.

The spiritual parallel is obvious. A young follower of Christ may dream about being able to preach or teach the Bible the way pastors do. That’s a worthy goal, but to reach it will take many hours (perhaps years) of study and training. Or a new believer may want to understand the deeper issues of the faith—again a worthy goal, but reaching it will take time and a plan. Even those who have been Christians for many years need to continue to grow in the faith. In fact, the apostle Peter says, “Those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins” (2 Peter 1:9).

To reach those goals takes a plan.

The Result

A spiritual-growth plan needs to be a daily “workout” of spending time reading the Bible and praying. The plan also should include regular worship and teaching, at church and other venues. And we must not forget community—building strong relationships with other believers. In the process, we should look for ways to serve, to use our gifts and meet needs inside and outside the church. God will provide many opportunities for growth: teaching, preaching, worshiping, serving, giving, and faith-stretching. And we should take advantage of those. But we need to be intentional, praying about, thinking through, and living out a plan to reach those spiritual goals.

My Story

“The prudent understand where they are going” (Proverbs 14:8).

I’ve always seen the value in planning ahead, even when it comes to my running routine. Most nights before an early-morning run, I lay out my running apparel, GPS watch, iPod, sunglasses, water bottle, and house key. I find it helpful to pray about the next day’s run and ask God for endurance and strength and to help me enjoy my running time. When preparing for a race, I plan ahead by registering early and mapping a chart for improving and beating my previous chip time.

Not only does planning help me to be more efficient with my busy schedule, it also keeps me committed to following through with my training. If I don’t plan ahead, I’m more likely to sleep in and blow off my runs, and therefore I fail to honor my commitment to keep up with my training schedule.

That’s sort of the way it is with serving and honoring the Lord. It’s easy to get lazy when you don’t have a good plan in place. God is totally committed to us for a lifetime, and nothing can break that commitment. When we give our time to God through serving others, praying, and reading the Bible, we show our commitment to him. And when we include God in our plans, we know that his ultimate purpose will prevail.

Becky B.

Think It Through

1. How did you develop your running plan?

2. What steps do you need to take on the road to spiritual maturity, or even to put yourself back on God’s path?

3. Considering your spiritual goals, what are the first three steps you need to take to get from here to there?

4. What resources do you need (for example, Bible, study tools, local church, class, etc.)? Where can you find those?

On Running

What should I eat before running?

If you eat before you run, you should do it three to five hours beforehand to allow your food to digest and to keep you from a quick sugar response that can lead to an energy crash. The amount you eat doesn’t really matter. Eating before a run or competition replenishes your glycogen stores—your easily accessible energy.