Training Season

This post is not for everyone. It’s important for you to take this back to the Lord and confirm with Him that this is for you. Not every word is meant to be applied to your life in the immediate moment. If you are receiving this in season it should not be the first time you are hearing about it. If the Lord has not been speaking to you about this already, take the wisdom and knowledge as a form of learning the ways of the Lord that you might choose to walk in them. If this is for you it should serve as confirmation and give you understanding. Glory be to God!

The Lord started speaking to me about this with a dream that I would like to share with you but for teaching purposes I need to clarify something. The presence of a dream is not the presence of God. What you see in the dream doesn’t mean that it is the voice of God. This dream was the beginning of the conversation that He continued through His Holy Spirit. I am not here to put the gifts of the spirit on a pedestal, I am here to share this the way it was given and encourage you to seek His Kingdom that you might be able to hear His voice and rest in His presence as well. Here is what I saw: I was on the turf inside the track during a track and field practice. My child was at the start of the 200 meter dash across the field. I could see from where I was that her toe was on the line. I started to yell “GET YOUR TOE OFF THE LINE!!! YOU HAVE TO BE FULLY BEHIND THE LINE!!!” I knew if she didn’t correct her starting position, she would be disqualified when it was time to run. It was important for her to learn this at practice, it wouldn’t matter how fast she ran in the race if she didn’t start properly or stay in her lane through the run. I looked over to the finish line, I saw the timers standing right on the line. I yelled over to them, “BACK UP OFF THE LINE! WAIT! GET OUT OF THEIR WAY!” because I knew that if the race were to start and the runners were to see the people with their stopwatches staring at the time— they would let off their momentum. If they were watching the clock they wouldn’t run through the finish and a well trained runner knows not to let up before you cross the line— you want to be at max speed as you cross it.

I woke up and remembered these—

“Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victors crown except by competing according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:5

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 2 Corinthians 9:24

Now by routine I wrote these things down as soon as I woke up and meditated on them for a while. He had given me these pieces. The imagery in my dream and the Scripture to go with it. I thought maybe He’d pour in to me about it later and sure enough; at my workout class this morning I was given something more. We work out in a circuit and let me tell you— it burns. We do a workout for 40 seconds and then rest for 20. We repeat each work out four times and move to the next. There is a clock on the wall that counts down each set and I noticed something in my behavior. When I look at the clock and see there is only a few seconds left— I choose to stop the reps instead of get one more in. The minute my eyes are on the clock I let up momentum and discontinue my training; if not for a few moments in the middle, then for the crucial ones at the end. Every time I am focused on the timing, I am losing speed and endurance— my workout decreases in value. Every single time. In this way, He gave me understanding on why in my dream He had yelled for the timers to get out of the lane of the runners. Because when those who are running the race keep their eyes on the clock, they are losing momentum, being distracted and missing out on what would have been valuable time to build strength. Keep your eyes off the timing. Got it.

That is probably enough of a word for some of you but it just so happens that I ran track in high school then went on to coach it for a few years while I was in college. This was all before I was born of the spirit— when I was in the womb of the world. The Holy Spirit called to my remembrance a few things.

• False starts delay the process. You get one more chance and in some cases there’s a zero tolerance policy so being trained in moving at the sound of the gun is crucial. There are no exceptions to the starting position. If you do not stay behind the starting line until you hear the gun, it’s a false start.

• There is a zero tolerance policy to lane etiquette. You are not allowed to run in the lane of the person next to you. The lines are clear boundaries. If you cannot respect the boundaries, you are disqualified. You do not get to alter them nor choose them. Your lane is given to you and it is an order to stay in it.

• A track team trains as a unit but races on their own. Each sprinter is challenged by their own teammates for a training season but when it comes time for the meet, each individual is racing on their own against a different team. Each person that places gets points accredited to the entire team. There is an individual place for every event and a team place that gathers all the points together for a collective win. Making team practice crucial to your ability to win your personal events.

These were all of ingredients, the Lord pulled from my memory, my dreams, my environment and the Scripture to prep for what would later be combined into this:

Are you coachable? You may know what your event is. Maybe you’ve seen that you’re a powerful intercessor, speaker, writer, influencer, musician or any other specific position chosen for you by the Lord. He has shown you that you are meant to bring glory to His Holy name by the talent or the gift that He has given you, but do you know His voice? Are you in position, with both feet on the right side of the line? Are you fully aware of the boundaries of your lane? Do your ears know the sound of the gun that says “go”? Are you taking full advantage of the team training season that prepares you? Welcoming correction? Showing up for practice? Have you let go of the timing? Is your mind a fertile ground for the seeds of the Kingdom of Heaven to be planted and to grow? Are you listening?

The Bible says, “iron sharpens iron” and the same goes for a runner that runs next to someone faster than them. The varsity trains with junior varsity and freshman for a reason. You may not need anyone else to complete your assignment but it would be wise to surrender to the training of a team. If you don’t work well with others you will be at a disadvantage. Isolating yourself is not divine separation. It requires humility to know that the Lord intends to increase your endurance by placing you with others who will outrun you. Your mind is not meant to fall into a place of competition but instead rest in a common goal. We are a body and each of us reaching our fullest potential is a win. Sometimes you will take first to encourage those next to you to build and other times the Lord will allow another to surpass you for motivation and inspiration. Both are cause for rejoice. Is your heart aligned with joy at the collective win? Or pride at the need to be first overall? Do you want to be right by His righteousness or your flesh? You can be well trained and humble at the same time. How you respond after the race is won is how He tests your heart.

It would be wise to have your ears tuned to correction while you still have time. This message has nothing to do with salvation and everything to do with operating as a body that can collectively face adversity and bring glory to the Lord through training the gifts of the spirit by His Spirit and the fruit thereof. We are in the business of winning souls to Christ and the Holy Spirit moves through us by our obedience. Do you know when to go? Are you interceding, speaking, writing, singing or moving impulsively because you are feeling heavily without hearing wisdom call out from the streets? How can one discern the difference in the tone of someone’s voice that they have not heard clearly? Are you willing to start honestly where you’re at and evaluate yourself by the truth? Someone focused on timing might rush but don’t you know the rushing steals valuable time from your training? If you focus on creating a dialogue between you and your Father, you wont worry about delaying because of a false start, but instead you will sit in confidence knowing the sound of the gun. It’s an intimate system. Standing in position at the starting line with your head down and your ears open, drowning out the sounds of the distractions, focused in on one sound only. It’s a gift to become fully aware of what His “yes”, “no”, and “wait” sounds like. For example; this word. I am writing now, and when I am finished I will put it in drafts. I will pray over it and I will ask Him to tell me when to go. I will receive any correction that He chooses to share from a place of gratitude and it will be released at the time that He says. Not because I am a perfectionist, but because I want to surrender my will for His— it’s His gift, His word; if the purpose of it is to reach you then I need to make sure it’s in the right place at the right time. I haven’t always been this way. I learned through seasons of impulsivity, ignorance, and loving correction from a gracious Father. Even my writing used to be emotionally charged rather than spirit led back in my early 20s. He gave me so much grace and there’s enough of it to go around. You and God will develop a system that helps you to understand His voice between His gentleness, discipline, command and wisdom. When Adam was finished being created, the Lord breathed life into Him. Same as this word, first it was written and then I asked the Lord to breathe life into it because my writing isn’t the part that matters; hearing His voice in it would be an honor. Having His spirit move through it is a privilege. Invite Him in to all that you create.

“Run in such a way as to get the prize”— so that means within the boundaries, at the appointed time, and after a season of training. Often times as Christians we understand “the assignment” to spread the gospel but how much more powerful would it be to work as a unit that can prepare for individual events together and see that moves are truly being made in the Kingdom of Heaven. Witnessing Him move through us for His glory is a gift in itself. How much sweeter would it be to know that it is not by our works that we have been saved but in the same way He reached us through a persons words or circumstance He can also use us to reach others by His love. You are loved before you choose to train and grow in spiritual maturity. It is true that by the blood we are set free; it is also true that the quality of our lives depends on the way we live the rest of it after salvation. “Many are called and few are chosen.” To be chosen for a position means to have a coachable and willing heart. We don’t make the rules. We get to choose to walk through sanctification with Jesus. We get the honor of seeking purity and growing in our God given gifts and by spending time being coached and refined by the leading of the Holy Spirit we would be able to give back from a place of gratitude to the merciful and forgiving God that we serve. To be obedient is another privilege. It means you hear His commands. It means you dwell in Him. Abide in Him— long enough to be sent out as apostles after discipleship. It means He can use you for acts. The Holy Spirit did not come and go with Jesus. Jesus came and went to bring His Holy Spirit to us through Him. What He did on the cross was more than just “die for our sins”. He died so we could live. So, train. Learn how to answer the call. Follow the rules. Follow Jesus. Be an effective part of the team. There was only ever one disciple that wasn’t coachable. I’ll let you figure that one out yourselves.

Love you guys.

Until next time,

Ari