Rebuilding Season - Making All Things New

Rebuilding Season – Making All Things New

 

Due to current world circumstances, i.e. COVID-19, the majority of the sporting world for a while had come to a grinding halt. Although, sporting events are trickling back in some areas, triathlon has not been exempted from being affected. For my part in particular it’s been completely shutdown. And although this devotional references a specific time in our world, it is applicable through every time in our world.  We all go through seasons of trial and triumph, through adversity and peace, you get it and well this is a particular season for me, a season that we all at some time or another go through. Due to the cancellation of many of my scheduled competitions, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a rebuilding season.

 

Many football coaches talk about a rebuilding year. They speak of it in the terms of replacing players who’ve moved on, finding new talent, developing new strategies, and sometimes a rebuilding of a whole system of program, that sort of rebuild requires a foundational overhaul. This is the rebuilding level I’m talking about. I’ve had some success in the first few years of my triathlon career. I fell in love with the sport, and grabbed hold of it and really went for it, I put in a lot of hard effort training and it showed with the race results, but little did I know, I had some foundational issues, muscular weaknesses. I’ve been hindered now for seven months by a hip flexor\psoas issue, this being due to compensating for weak core and glutes, the weakest glutes in America in fact. What I’m actually seeing though is a parallel with my spiritual life. When I truly understood born again, when I truly got a hold of my identity in Christ, I was set free and I ran ablaze, I was so transformed by the power of the Gospel I was so in Love with the truth of God’s word and really went for making Him known. Fast forward to a few years later and I’m seeing that while this tenacity was excellent, there are some weaknesses in my soul, (mind, will and emotion), the structure wasn't sound. Some demolition must take place to rebuild, yet again. Digging down again to that foundation, starting from where I started. There are some issues (haughtiness, selfishness, pride) that have reared their ugly head causing me not to run to the best of my ability. God allows us to go through circumstances so that he can show us where those weaknesses are through Holy Spirit. We are able to identify them, because we’ve built on a solid foundation.

 

I get this sense we’re a continual construction process. As believers, we’ve been saved, and we’re being saved, we’ve been born again and we’re developing and maturing.  We’ve been made a new creation and that creation is moving more toward the likeness of Christ. It’s clear in our physical bodies, as we pursue athletics and fitness, there is this constant state of construction, whether building our bodies, or maintaining them or enhancing there performance, there is work being done. We as believers should be growing and developing spiritual daily being transformed by the renewing our minds, coming to a fuller understanding and moving into our fullest potential sometimes that requires a rebuilding season. Thank God for this slow down, it has become evident that it is to be used as a rebuilding season. There are issues that need to be worked out both spiritually and physically, strengthening and healing. Attention must be given to where I’m lacking. I believe God, like a potter has a beautiful vessel to shape out of the clay that we are, and he doesn’t mind starting over with us from time to time, breaking us down to build us up again, until we reach that final perfected form he will continue the good work in us. He makes all things new, again, and again.

STUDY NOTES

Behold, I am doing a new thing now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

 

The LORD will fulfill His purpose in me. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever--do not abandon the works of Your hands. Psalms 138:8

 

But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8

 

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:12