Zero Week Devotional | Endurance

One of my resolutions for 2021 is to tap into my spiritual life through this blog. My goal is to post a blog every Sunday that reflects this.

The word or thought for this week is ENDURANCE.

Endurance is our ability to handle or endure a difficult situation or process without quitting.

If 2021 has taught us anything, it is that life isn't easy, and neither is sports. We all face adversity and opposition. The Bible says, "In the world, you will have tribulation." No champion becomes a champion without taking a loss. It took Michael Jordan 7 years to make the NBA finals and to win his first title. The key to success is having the endurance to push through and past all adversity, obstacles, setbacks, and losses.

There are some things that we can do to help us build our endurance and that can help us face and overcome adversity.

Get Encouragement From Others
We can find hope in looking at the journey of others. Find athletes and/or mentors who have done what you want to do and learn from them. Hebrews 11 is often called the "Faith Hall of Fame" because it introduces an impressive list of Old Testament heroic figures whose stories stand out to encourage and challenge faith. I always tell my athletes to find a player comparison that they can look to for inspiration.

Get Rid of Distractions

Identify the things that can slow you down or get you off track. Don't let anything keep you from getting closer to your goals. Hebrew 12:1 tells us, "Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us." Don't let distractions keep you from doing the work and creating the habits that will help you achieve your goals.

It is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Hebrews 12:1 ends by telling us, "and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." When the going gets tough, don't run away and don't quit. Keep fighting. The longer we push the limits, the stronger our faith becomes and the stronger we become.

Know Your Why

Hebrews 12:2 advises us to keep "looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith." Seeing the final prize can help us endure the adversity that we face on the journey. That is why setting goals are so important. When we have goals, we know what we are working for.

This Week:

1 - Write down one of your goals, and write down one habit that you can start that will help you achieve your goals. Commit to this goal for all of 2021.

2 - Read Hebrews 11 and find one heroic figure from the chapter that you can identify with. Also, find one athlete who you can identify with and look to for encouragement.

3 - Identify one thing that is a distraction for you, and come up with a plan to eliminate that distraction.