October 14 2011

Draw, Aim, Shoot

Reading: I Corinthians 9:26-27, “26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” [NIV]

I use to own a .410 shotgun. I LOVED that gun. One of the biggest reasons that I loved it was because you could shoot from the hip like they do in the old westerns. Funny thing is… just like in most things… the movies aren’t very realistic. They make it look like, if you draw and shoot from your hip, it’s really easy to hit your target exactly where you wanted to every time. Yeah… didn’t seem to happen for me, when I thought I could be just like John Wayne. If I was just shooting just to shoot, it was fine but if a rabbit or pheasant shot out and I really wanted to hit my target, I learned very quickly that you don’t shoot from the hip. Fellow hunters who are with you don’t seem to like it too much either, for some reason. You have to go back to hunter’s training days of draw… aim… shoot.

We tend to do the same thing, especially in our spiritual life. Yes, we tend to have a goal when we get up in the morning. We may know what we need or want to accomplish in the day. We may know what we need to do or get done at work or around the house. Meanwhile, in our spiritual lives, we shoot from the hip… we allow ourselves to be aimless when it comes to living our lives for Christ or being a husband or being a father. The paycheck that you may earn today will not last long, especially since others seem to find creative ways to help you spend it. The prize to which Paul is referring is eternal. Let’s not be accidental Christians, husbands and/or fathers today. Let’s take aim on what God has called us to be today.

What are your goals for Christ today?



How can you take aim and make sure to reach those goals today?
End of the Day Review

Were you able to reach your goals today? If so or if not, how did that happen?


How did this impact your day and how can you continue taking aim?