Intense Training

How God is Like Training to Become an Astronaut

(This is from the book God is Like a Rocket Launch)

The excitement building up to the rocket launch was massive, but the preparation behind the scenes was intense.

No one felt the intensity more than the astronauts who had to prepare for the unknown of space.

These astronauts not only had to be in top physical shape but also prepared for any situation that would arise. Long hours of training were normal.

Although these were already top test pilots of the military, space was new and relatively unknown. The vehicles and controls for the missions were also new and untested.

When we think about an astronaut's training, many different images come to mind—running on a treadmill, simulating the mission in a dive tank, or even practicing walking in a spacesuit.

Astronauts rehearse and walk through every known aspect of the mission many times over

, so it becomes second nature, familiar, and they can respond to new situations with confidence.

Part of what drove the original astronauts was competition.

They knew that only the best would get the prize of blasting out of our atmosphere, floating in space, or walking on the moon.

They knew that if they were physically, mentally, or emotionally unable to perform the mission, they would be disqualified from the prize they sought.

In our own lives, God calls us to be spiritually fit and prepared for whatever the world throws at us.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul challenges us:

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV

Training ourselves spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically is super vital as Christians. Do we truly trust God? Do we believe His Word?

Reading Scripture and understanding God’s plan for humanity is how we become familiar with the mission. When we know the mission and have memorized it, we can recall it and adapt to any situation we find ourselves in. God has given us everything we need in His Word!

We may not be training our bodies for space, but we are preparing our bodies to be submissive and obedient to God’s Word. This is arguably harder than anything Buzz Aldrin or Neil Armstrong faced.

Just like these astronauts, we must train, so we don’t find ourselves disqualified from the prize of walking with God in eternity.

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(This is from the book God is Like a Rocket Launch if you want to experience all 30 of these observationals you can grab a copy from Amazon.)

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