Your Life's No Longer Empty

Yesterday on social media, Pastor Scotty Smith said, "Pray as if everything depends on God, because it does." To which someone replied, "Don't forget to work like it depends on you." Now, at first that seems reasonable. Pray like it depends on God. Work like it depends on you. But what Scotty gently countered with was spot on: He said, "Nope. Because if I work like it depends on God, then I work harder, with more joy and more hope."

Working hard with joy and hope - not in order to achieve or gain what's to come - but simply because of what's to come. Ah, enter the wayward son...

"Carry on, you will always remember. Carry on, nothing equals the splendor. Now your life's no longer empty. Surely Heaven waits for you."

For Discussion: Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as unto the Lord and not for man..." What does this verse, or rather, how does this verse help you in your daily routine of health and fitness? Does it convict you to work harder or perhaps does it convict you to train for the right reasons? Maybe both? Does it help you evaluate your motives? Whatever the case may be, when we train knowing it all depends on God, we'll have more joy, more hope along the way. And He gets the credit. Beat that with a stick.