Successful athletes want to do more than just wear the uniform.
They want to win. And that requires a constant push toward the limits of personal potential.
In fact, the difference between a so-so athlete and the excelling athlete is most often the willingness to put in whatever amount of work — and personal discomfort — that might be required.
I saw this principle this morning embedded within a passage that was part of my daily Bible reading.
“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (Proverbs 4:18)
The more prominent the position of the sun in the sky, the brighter the light that floods everything around us.
It’s the same with faith and influence. The more prominent the position of the Son in our lives, the brighter the Light that floods everything around us.
And each day should be brighter than the day before.
The righteous person doesn’t have to drag himself or herself away from the shadows in order to not be in the dark about pursuing the purposes of God.
Each day, instead, the righteous person considers how to move closer to the example — and heart — of Jesus Christ.
That’s what adds brightness to the believer’s life.
Shine more brightly this week by encouraging more people. If you recall doing so for two co-workers last week, why not make it a daily activity this week?
Shine more brightly by bringing your pride under control so that you’ll be more willing to forgive the little offenses that come your way via the careless remarks or actions of others.
Yes, it takes work to become more like Jesus. Sometimes it takes a lot of personal discomfort, particularly when we’re really tempted to cause others some personal discomfort.
But the path of the righteous is not characterized by an obsession with payback time.
Jesus had every right to lauch a massive payback flood on the people of His day.
He chose the path of righteousness to which God had called Him — to serve and to be a living sacrifice for unworthy people.
Let’s shine more brightly, my friend.
Let’s be more righteous in all aspects of our lives.
When our full light of day comes in heaven, we’ll celebrate a day that never ends.
As always, I love you
Martin
