"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."  -Philippians 3:14 NLT

Athletes use the off-season to work on their conditioning, nutrition, and weight training. This enhances their cardiovascular endurance, improves eating habits, and builds strength in preparation for the next season. In addition, they use this time to make improvements by working on their overall skill sets. In the process of working on their games, they work on eliminating weaknesses and fine-tuning their strengths. This process will not only help athletes eliminate rust once the next season arises, but it will also help them to continue to build skills without limitations.

We all have weaknesses that we need God to help us address. But we have also been blessed with various gifts. We shouldn’t find our identity in our abilities. We should walk in humility recognizing that the gifts that we have come from God. As the Body of Christ, we cannot rest on our laurels just because we are saved. No one is perfect but Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must constantly strive for excellence and growth in our relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer and studying the word of God.

We must remember that “this world is not our permanent home, we must prepare for a home to come,” in other words, heaven (Hebrews 13:14). Therefore, we shouldn’t focus on obtaining wealth and the pleasures of this world in risk of totally losing our souls (Mark 8:36). God wants His people to blessed, but we should first focus on God’s purpose for our lives and most importantly, the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19 tells us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” As we tell others the good news of the gospel of Christ, we must not abandon maturing in our personal walk with Him. The more we allow God to help us to improve our weaknesses and strengths daily, the more we will grow to become like Christ.