Proverbs 31.17
“She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.”
In the kingdom of God, disciplined training is the necessary path for gaining wisdom, developing strength, and building skill. This is the principle of musar in the book of Proverbs. It is the principle of gumnazo (“train yourself”) in the book of 1 Timothy. It is also the experience we have every day in the world of cause-and-effect that God has created.
- If you want a productive farm, you must do the work and learn the skills.
- If you want a healthy marriage, you must do the work and learn the skills.
- If you want a successful job/career, you must do the work and learn the skills.
- If you want to be competent at anything in life, you must do the work and learn the skills.
This is God’s design for the cause-and-effect world he has created. You are not exempt from the reality of skill-building because you are a Christian! You are not exempt from the process of developing your strength in the Lord. Quite the opposite, in fact. Because you are a Christian, you should display an exemplary work ethic and commitment to disciplined development of strength and skill.
The truth is that the Lord calls you and then commands you to take ownership of your spiritual growth and do the work necessary to fulfill his calling in your life. The Lord does not magically give you the strength and skill necessary for doing your job. Whatever your role, if you are a Christian, by all means pray fervently … but you must also practice and prepare.
What would you think if, when you boarded a commercial flight, you overheard the pilot say this to the co-pilot: “You know, I almost flunked flight school, and I haven’t trained in the simulator for several years now, but I sure do study my bible every morning.”
Christian pilots cannot skip flight school. Christian doctors cannot bypass medical school. Christian electricians and carpenters cannot bypass trade school and apprenticeship. Christian athletes cannot skip practice.
Trust God, do the work, and build your strength and skill!
“Train yourself in godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (I Timothy 4:7-10)
