How to increase your spiritual endurance

　　He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” -Psalm 46:10

　　Dick Wade, a sportswriter in Kansas City, wanted to find out how much “action” really occurred in a regular baseball game. So he took a stopwatch to a game and counted the time it took the ball to leave the pitcher’s hand and reach the plate, as well as the time the ball was actually in play.

　　Wade discovered that in the 2-hour and 28-minute game, the amount of action was only about 8 minutes and 30 seconds.

　　There’s something to be said, though, when it comes to a sport like baseball. Because of the “downtime” in a game, baseball players are able to play 162 games a year almost daily during the regular season. Football players, however, have much more action in their game. Yet, they’re only able to play 16 games, one per week, with many more instances of injuries on the field.

　　This can tell us something about the importance of “downtime” in the Christian life. For people who are always “blowing and going,” their endurance can often cause them to exhaust themselves. Yet, for those who make downtime a priority, they tend to have more energy for the long haul.

　　Make downtime a priority. Take time to rest in the Lord. When you do, you’ll have much more endurance to continue going and growing strong in Christ!

　　Prayer Challenge

　　Pray that God would help you find times for rest in Him to increase your long-term spiritual endurance.

　　Questions for Thought

　　Have you experienced “burnout” in the Christian life? How might times of rest have helped you to avoid that?

　　What can you begin doing today to make resting in the Lord a priority and increase your spiritual endurance?

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