“God’s word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.” — Hebrews 4:12
Unstoppable
Have you ever battled your own will?
Playing soccer with my dad as my coach, I didn’t realize the life lessons I was learning. One that stands out is the day our fifth-grade team replicated the “weave” drill that seemed so boring in practice.
My team that year was unstoppable. My dad coached us well and we simply dominated the league. Some of it was due to superior skill. Some of it was due to superior athleticism. However, the moment that we successfully translated the “weave” from the practice field to the game field taught me a lot about my will.
Something that had been so dull to me on the practice field now came alive because I saw its success on the game field. Before that season, I never would have made that pass. I would have been tempted to dribble past one or two players and take a shot from distance, or force an unnecessary pass. Yet, the reality was the practice field was molding my will. I certainly wasn’t aware of it, but what had been molded and forged on the practice field became recognizable on the game field, and because it was recognized, it was executed.
Our human will is strong. When it comes to following Jesus, it requires a lot of molding and forging to be able to submit to following Jesus. Doesn’t it feel mundane sometimes to read the Bible? Hiding behind facades of busy lives, we devalue the importance of reading and engaging the Word daily, and yet it’s this very Word that is the most usable tool to help mold our will!
I love how Hebrews 4:12 reads in the CEV: “God’s Word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.”
I simply love the way that last phrase is expressed!
The Word of God cuts through me until it discovers the desires and thoughts of my heart! Guess what it begins to do when it discovers that? It begins to mold this stubborn, selfish will. It’s not only molding me, it’s preparing me too.
Don’t underestimate the value of the Word. God wants to mold and prepare you. Much like a coach with a game plan, we, as believers, have the ultimate game plan to read and study. One day all the studying and exercising on the practice field will translate onto the game field, and in that moment, you will realize that reading the Word of God is never a mundane act. All the exercising in private will one day be executed in public.
Go find the game plan. Read it. Study it. It’s going to be worth it when you see it translate!
— Franco Martinez
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