Pump It Up! Live Elated, Not Deflated Through Disappointing Daysਨਮੂਨਾ

Will it make the boat go faster?

I love the story of the eight British men who won the gold medal in rowing at the Sydney Olympics in September of 2000. They were unlikely and unexpected winners who had an interesting strategy that enabled them to grab that gold. The phrase they adopted as a team in the run-up to the competition was, ‘Will it make the boat go faster?’ In everything they did leading up to the Olympics, they asked themselves that question. In relation to their training, their thoughts, their conversations, their diet - every aspect of their lives - they asked, ‘Will it make the boat go faster?’ If the answer was no, then that behaviour, attitude, food, or technique had to go! It certainly paid off, and though they were the underdogs in the competition, they sailed themselves to a well-earned victory.

We are going to examine the theme of waiting in a couple of days' time - in many ways, during dinghy days, we can’t necessarily make our boat go faster, because we are waiting on God’s divine timing for our next step. But I feel a pertinent question for our dinghy days, in line with the gold medal-winning rowers, could be, ‘Will it make my faith grow faster?’

When you consider the way you are thinking, behaving, and speaking in your dinghy, is it making your faith grow or decrease? Are your thoughts, your words, your attitude, and your actions leading you to having more faith in Jesus and his ability to direct you? Are you growing in perseverance, hope, and faith, or are these things depleting? Do you find yourself entangled by sins and struggles in your dinghy? The Bible directs us to throw off these things, so that we can run our race more effectively.

In my dinghy, I had to address things that were keeping my faith low and slow - such as my anxious attitude, my negative thoughts, and my fear-filled confession. I also had to change my diet and focus on exercise. I took real ownership over these areas and adopted a healthier lifestyle, which I really believe helped my faith grow faster, as my mental state was much improved.

The things that are keeping your faith low and slow need to go! Throw off the things that are holding you back. Try to regularly stop and check in with yourself, asking, ‘Will it make my faith grow faster?’.

Reflection

What do you need to ‘throw off’ of your dinghy today, to ensure your faith and perseverance are growing at a faster rate?