Can't Stand the Heat

August 8, 2022

Don’t try this at home.

Several times a week I walk for exercise, three or four miles. As I walk I sing in my head favorite hymns and contemporary Christian songs, to set my pace. I don’t read music well, but I think I take a step for each quarter note. By that pace I do a mile in about thirteen minutes.

We’ve had a pretty hot summer in Georgia. Some days when I walk the heat index is over one hundred degrees. Some friends have worried about my safety, considering heat stroke or heat exhaustion. I’m okay, I’m used to the heat, and I’m wary of any danger signals my body might send me.

That doesn’t mean you should go for a long walk in high heat. I’m in excellent health, and have been in training for this activity by my regular exercise in hot conditions.

We have to learn to train for lots of things in life. Pay off your college loans before you take on a house mortgage. Sing in the choir before you agree to sing a solo. You must get a learner’s permit before you can get a driver’s license.

Are you in shape for spiritual kinds of things? I mean, if you’ve never read the Bible much, would it be wise to suddenly decide you’ll read through that whole book this year? No, it wouldn’t give you a heat stroke, but you might have trouble making it to the finish line. If you tell a friend you’ll pray for them, hopefully you’ve already gotten in the habit of praying every day. And as for getting into shape, learn to rely on God for little things before you desperately need to pray your way through a storm.

It’s time to get in shape.

I Corinthians 9:24: “In a race, everyone runs but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win.”