Warming Up

How do you scale up your ambition?

Today, athletes in hundreds of sports all over the world are warming up. It is a golden rule for athletes to warm up the body before intense work. It may be warming up for practice or a workout or it could be warming up for a competition or a championship event.

It may be helpful for you to think about the benefits of warming up when considering your own ministry.

After ten years of serving individual athletes and coaches with a couple of friends, we decided to serve entire teams. At the time I didn’t realize that serving individuals would be a warm-up to serving a whole team. This was all a warm-up for the next step, the far more significant challenge of doing the same with top-class sports teams in other countries and with sports unfamiliar to us. Each stage was a warm-up for the next.

This knowledge made me more serious about paying closer attention to what I was learning at each stage.

There were also times when I knew the ultimate goal and planned my warm-up strategy accordingly. When asked to present the sports work to large groups of 500 people, I had no experience. So I searched for opportunities where I could talk to 25 people then 50. I was able to warm up and practice in less pressured contexts.

It's usually wise to lay out a warm-up plan when taking on a significant need or opportunity. It is just like an athlete preparing for a competition or championship. The outcome is almost always better if you warm up first.

Scripture to ponder – Philippians 4:9

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Key Lesson: During warm-up or practice, we correct our mistakes or learn what we don't know to be successful. Warming up will help you serve more effectively.