Of Gifts & Slothfulness

So there I was on my mountain bike, huffing and puffing like an asthmatic breathing through a straw... lungs burning with the taste of blood in the back of my throat... thighs cramping with an overdose of lactic acid... face making all sorts of contortions like a good silent black and white movie... I was giving everything I had, just trying to make it up the smallest little hill on the bike path. And I was only 15 minutes into my ride!

In the days of yore as national road cycling champion

I was once a national road cycling champion but since retiring from cycling, I had definitely gotten too comfortable with life and became lazy.

The Decline

Why I stopped racing is perhaps another post for another day, but as I started my new career in the retail industry I slowly transitioned away from physical exercise to mental exercise. That is to say, I stopped actually exercising! My job did keep me on my feet and I would easily walk 10,000 steps most days. My record was walking 36km in a day. But it's not the same as having the discipline to choose to exercise. Add to that I picked up some bad habits and I basically let myself go. The transition was slow but noticeable. It hit me when I met up with some cycling friends after some years and they remarked, "wow you've put on weight!".

For a very weight-conscious former athlete, this hit me hard. But I was stuck in a spiral that I couldn't quite yet escape. I knew I was unhealthy and unfit but I guess I didn't want to leave my comfort zone. Ironic for someone who spent so long thriving and priding themself on being able to "embrace the suck".

Oversized me

The Catalyst

When I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a helicopter pilot I knew I had to change my lifestyle. The profession demanded discipline in many areas and I needed to get back to that level of demand of myself. That first began with becoming healthy. I also didn't want to fail at the first hurdle, being unable to pass an aviation medical!

I decided the best course of action, the most bang-for-the-buck exercise, was running. Something I was good at before, had a frame of reference and was time-efficient. The first day I barely made it 3km. The second day, I somehow coaxed myself into not quitting and made it 4km. The third day, the same. Some moments, I had to walk just to catch my breath. But I kept reminding myself of the old me. The guy that wouldn't quit, who had the mental tenacity to keep pushing.

When I challenged myself to walk home from church one evening

By the time I left for pilot training, I was feeling great. The discipline meant I was fit, I'd gotten rid of my bad habits and was mentally in the game. I guess I needed purpose.

Feeling fit and fueled with purpose

The Parable of The Talents

My pastor shared a perspective of this parable in Matthew 25 that I hadn't seen before. There was the servant who invested and grew the talent, basically made a positive return on investment. Then there was the one who burried it and made made no growth and no interest. So in relation to the gifts that God has blessed each of us with:

Are we using those gifts for His Kingdom work?

That could be the obvious use of gifts in music for worship, or public speaking to preach. Or maybe its even the gift of time, to serve as an usher or to help clean up after service.

Are we investing that gift?

If i'm disciplined to hone my gift, it can become even more impactful. As a musician on the worship team, I can practice my instrument to play it better. Maybe I can even use music as a means to introduce others to church. As an usher, I reach out to and interact with my own church community. Maybe I can use those same gifts of social interaction and time to reach out to those outside of it.

I want to be the best I can be, at what i've been gifted, in order to offer Him my best.

Our Greatest Ability is Our Availability

I was gifted with good cycling traits but when I lost my sense of purpose, I got lazy. I stopped using that gift altogether at some point. What a shame.

When we realise our life purpose is His Kingdom work, hopefully we'll see where our gifts can serve that purpose. We can't sit idly by, but need to strive to serve whole-heartedly. That means being disciplined to hone our gift. That also means being available to serve Him with our gift.