Related to the deficiencies of a legalistic approach to the Christian life is the discipline required to compete at a high level in a sport. Recently, the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament was held in New York. People don’t usually lose a tennis match because they don’t know or obey the rules of tennis. They lose because their opponent was better that day.

My son David made this observation:

I don’t watch much tennis. But hey, I’m on vacation and I love sports. This is Coco Gauff, #12 in the world. What’s she doing? Warming up for her match? Nope. She just won her match in straight sets. She’s out there with her coach working on her serve, which wasn’t that good today. You wanna know what it takes to be elite? This. #PutInTheHours #RealSkillTakesRealTime #putinthehours #realskilltakesrealtime

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. (1 Corinthians 9.24, ESV)

Train yourself for godliness. (1 Timothy 4.7, ESV)