Praise the Lord, who is my rock.
He trains my hands for war
and gives my fingers skill for battle.
- Psalm 144:1
I am quite certain when David wrote Psalm 144, he did not mean God will train our hands and fingers for video games. Right? While we flexed our fingers and knuckles in our pyjamas on our keyboards and controllers, he was dodging real spears thrown at him by a king and facing down a literal giant. The guy was talented, but I am sure he was trained. And I don’t mean by professionals, but through every moment of his life by his creator God.
Throughout these past few years, I have racked up over 577 hours in Warzone. That’s 24+ days of continuously jumping out of an aircraft, choosing the right location to land, getting to the next circle, and most importantly, aiming well in the heat of the battle. I will be honest, even after that many hours, I am at best an average player on my best days. In most games, I land into the wrong locations, took too long to pick up my gears (or as my teammates yell, “STOP SHOPPING!!”) or worst yet, lose out on gunfights when my team needed me most. It can be frustrating being my teammates!
As it turns out, there is a limit as to how much I can improve by just playing the game over and over again, even after 577 hours. And so this year I installed Aim Lab and committed to some weekly training sessions for the sake of my team. The training is not as fun and the graphic far from great, but that’s not the goal of Aim Lab. The goal is for the next time I am in Caldera, where I will be ready for the actual battle with faster reaction time and better accuracy. The training is needed so I can win the battle when it matters most to my stats and to my team.
It is the same in our walk with Jesus, it may also need some training. We need better training and practice in our daily life because life is full of giants and hidden falls. The valleys in life are deep, and the darkness can last for years. For many of us, we often persevere through these dark moments by the skin of our teeth and we can’t imagine going through it again. The truth is, just existing through these life challenges is not going to be enough. We can’t just self-actualize out of every storm and into smooth water. We need training and instructions so we can face each and every battle that comes our way with assurance and hope.
The Word of God is our life-saving instruction, encouragement, and training manual. It provides the instructions for our lives so we are not easily overcome; it is His training program for righteousness. But what’s more, is that the Holy Spirit directs us through the scriptures. When we fail to follow His instructions, our Trainer—the Holy Spirit—convicts us to correct our errors and to get back on track. And it is through these daily practices of good decisions according to His words that God readies us for the big battles on the horizon. This is how He equips us for the many giants that are aiming for me in my life.
“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” - 1 Timothy 4:8
Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. - 1 Cor. 9:24-27
The apostle Paul reminds us that we need discipline and training if we are to live a victorious life in Christ. The much-sought-after “W” doesn’t just come on a platter in life. We need to aim for godliness, and we need to be intentional in our training discipline if we are to get the prize.
What changes in your training habit do you need to make today?
What is your Trainer saying to you right now?
Let’s aim better and aim higher!
#GG and Be Gracious!
Reflections:
What is your training program—your daily regiment—for godliness?
How can we practice godliness even as we play?
Maybe it is in controlling what we type or say and not just how fast we click shoot? Make a plan, find a verse that will hold you accountable, and practice it every time you play.