Enhanced Performance

A friend of mine named Brian Keel puts out a weekly devotional that I receive via email (if you would like to receive this, simply email him here). It is usually very good. I thought last week's was excellent so I thought I'd share it here:

Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) were in the news again recently when Mark McGwire admitted, as many have long suspected, that he used steroids during his playing career. The general consensus is that his confession was prompted by his return to the game as a hitting coach and was timed to allow the dust to settle before spring training begins. Plenty of what he said felt like justification and covering of tracks but I think he was right on at least one point.

Steroids, HGH, Synthetic Testosterone and all the other PEDs are against the rules. So using them is cheating, plain and simple. However, a person doesn’t just take these substances, put their feet up and wait to get big and strong. The only way to get the benefit is to head to the gym and work and work and work. The PEDs allow a person to workout harder and more often that they could otherwise. They don’t make you strong all by themselves; they just make your hard work pay off faster.

In the same way, reading your Bible and going to church won’t make you a stronger Christian if you just kick back and put your feet up after. You need to take what you’ve learned and work and work and work at it. These activities enhance your ability to follow Christ and have an impact on the lives of others. It makes your hard work more effective. And it’s all perfectly legal.

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9