Training Versus Trying

by John Michalak

I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.

Luke 11:9-10

Author Scott Reall says that when pursuing any goal, there’s a difference between training and trying. Many have tried, for instance, to quit smoking. They try, they last days or weeks, but then they fail. They try again but still fail over and over. Eventually, they give up trying altogether.

But the athlete who goes into training looks at failure differently. If he grows faint when starting out, he still gets up the next morning to begin again. If he loses a game or even a championship, there’s still the next game or the next season. What feels like failure to the one who tries is just one part of the process to the person who trains.

What about our pursuit of God? So many of us only try to pray for His provision, His protection, His strength, and His guidance. We try to obey and remain faithful, but we fail. And some give up altogether.

But if you get up every morning seeking God like an athlete seeks a championship, then each failure is simply one step closer to your goal. Don’t give up. Keep seeking God with all your heart, and the victory of the sanctified life will be yours.