The overload principle

There is a principle in physical training called the Overload Principle. 

It’s used to force your body and mind to grow by consistently pushing past your limits. 

It’s why you can and should put more weight on the bar every training session until you’ve acquired significant strength. 

The military uses the Overload Principle to forge warriors of steal. The most visible example is what the Navy Seals call Hell Week. 

Things like Hell Week have a remarkable impact on those who make it through. They inoculate them to stress by overloading their minds and bodies. They push them to their limits and develop within them the ability to endure almost anything. Navy Seals can move forward and win when things go bad on the battlefield because training prepared them. 

The same principle applies not only in the gym or ranks of the military elite but in your life as well. 

You are going to live through some pretty awful days. Bad things are going to happen and the plan you have for your day, your year, your life is going to get off track. 

This will ruin you and your chances of reaching your goals if you fail to prepare for adversity. 

Preparing for adversity is simple. Overload and stress your mind, your body, your everything to the max. 

Put yourself in uncomfortable and scary positions. 

Think about the worst possible scenarios and plan for how you’ll respond. 

If you want to get stronger physically, put more weight on the bar, train when it’s extremely hot/cold, do things that fill you with fear.  

If you want to give a remarkable presentation, practice every possible disaster scenario. Practice without slides, without handouts, without power to the building. Practice overcoming brutal objections and rudeness. Think through how you’ll respond under the worst of circumstances. 

You get the picture. 

They say circumstances don’t make character but reveal it. That’s hog wash in this case. Harsh, trying and nearly impossible circumstances can help you grow like nothing else can. They will stretch you and force you to grow in ways comfort never can. 

Step out of your comfort zone and embrace adversity. 
 

Will You Read “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” With Me?

“Discipline without direction,” Donald Whitney said, “is drudgery.” 

All the times I set out to instill greater discipline in my life, ‘just because’, I failed. It didn’t take and many times served to not only to frustrate but to hinder the growth I needed. Doing things ‘just because you should’ or ‘because everyone else does’ or even ‘because it’s what your hero does’, isn’t necessarily a good enough reason. You must have a deep driving purpose that carries you through. Being disciplined is a wonderful thing, but for it to serve its intended purpose in our lives we must give something to push us towards. It must have direction. 

I have found this to be especially true in the Christian life. Engaging in the Spiritual Disciplines without giving thought to their purpose robs them of their life giving power. For years I’d read my bible, pray occasionally, and attend church on weekends, thinking that engaging in those activities alone was enough. One day that all changed. I became obsessed with growing in Christlikeness. I saw in Romans 8 the Lord’s promise to work in all circumstances and events to shape and mold my character into that of Christ. “God’s eternal plan,” Whitney says, “ensures that every Christian will ultimately conform to Christlikeness.” With that promise as the goal of my Christian life Bible reading, prayer and Sunday worship took on a whole new life. They became the tools The Spirit would use to conform me into the image of Christ. The end breathed life into the means. 

I ran with the what seemed the wind at my back for years. I’d dove into Scripture, memorized verses, and prayed with a fresh energy and desire to know my Lord more deeply. What I didn’t realize was that I was neglecting many of the other tools God has given me, namely the other Spiritual Disciplines. I was nailing Bible intake, but dropping the ball on evangelism, meditation, solitude, and fasting. While Scripture reading is the discipline on which all others hang, I needed to tap into these other means the Lord had given me for my good. 

Whitney says,“God uses three things to change us: 1.) people, 2.) circumstances, and 3.) the Spiritual Disciplines. People and circumstances work from the outside in, while the disciplines work from the inside out.” We only have control over one of those three, namely the Spiritual Disciplines. The other two just happen to us without warning and without permission. 

Spiritual Disciplines are things we do, however. They don’t happen on their own, they require great effort on our part. Which is why so few even try. Barna Research Group reported a survey that showed only 18 percent of “born again Christians” read the Bible every day. That’s a heartbreaking and sad statistic. It stopped me dead in my tracks when I first encountered it. 

“Holiness is not an option for those who claim to be children of the Holy One,” Whitney said, “so neither are the means of holiness. (see 1 Peter 1:15-16)” I’ve already mentioned a few of the means, but in short we call them the Spiritual Disciplines. “Spiritual disciplines,” Whitney said, “are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers.” They are how we place ourselves in the path of God’s grace and seek Him. 

In short, Spiritual Disciplines are things you do to cultivate Christlike joy and character. There is an important distinction that needs to be made before wading too much farther into the waters of the disciplines. You must keep it firmly fixed in your mind that the Spiritual Disciplines concern your sanctification, or growth in godliness, not your salvation. The disciplines we discuss are meant to carry you deeper into the truths of the gospel, not to serve as a path to self-salvation. “Focus on the person and work of Jesus in each of the Disciplines.” Whitney said, “Through them, learn from, gaze upon, and enjoy who Jesus is and what He has done. By means of the Spiritual Disciplines, let the truths of the gospel restore your soul.” 

I took part in an eight-week discipleship program earlier this year, in which we read through Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. It was such a great help in my understanding and enjoyment of the Spiritual Disciplines found in Scripture that I’m going to spend the next several weeks discussing them here on the blog.

Here’s how this will work: 

This series will kick off Sunday, August 20th. That Sunday, I’ll publish a post offering some reflections on what Whitney said in chapters 2 & 3. You’ll be able to join in on the discussion—if you’d like—in the comment section below. 

Then, in the week that follows, we will read the next chapter before once again sharing our reflections together. We’ll repeat this pattern until we’ve finished the book. 

If you’d like to read along, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life is readily available. You can find it almost anywhere books are sold. 

I found the best price on Amazon. You can order it here if you’re so inclined. 

Let’s get started

All you need to do is get a copy and read chapters 2 & 3 before August 20th. 
 

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. I earn a small commission should you choose to use them while making your purchase. 

Complaining won't get you far

Complaining won’t get you very far. 

In fact, it'll keep you from far more than you’d imagine. 

It’s not that being negative or focusing on the negative is annoying to those around, although it is. It’s that being negative, complaining and making excuses hurts your ability to perform, to get things done. 

When you’re in a negative mindset, you’re less responsive, less precise, and slower in almost every way.

Positivity, on the other hand, is linked to better performance across the board including greater speed and accuracy. 

You can’t afford to let negativity hold you back or keep you down. Too much is riding on it. 

The good news is that being positive is a learned behavior. You can do something about how you think, and what you allow yourself to say. 

You can choose a more positive attitude and tone. 

You can condition yourself not to complain. 

It will take time, but it’s worth the effort because your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, and your actions determine your outcome. 

Getting Better

What’s the first thing that runs through your mind when your head lifts off the pillow? 

What’s the overarching reason you’re getting up and getting after the day? 

You may be surprised to learn that the truly successful all wake up with one goal in mind—to get better. 

They get up early and work hard because they’re committed to doing whatever it takes to improve. 

It borders on obsession, but that’s what it takes. 

You can’t mosey through life and expect greatness to come knocking on your door. 

You must chase it down, grab it by the throat and pin it to the ground. 

“It’s a constant dedication,” Ben Bergeron said, “to habits and values that can be isolating. In the long term, though, the benefit will be unmatched.”

You have to get serious—really serious—about your habits and figure out what habits will get you where you want to go. 

Habits that make you stronger, faster, and smarter than you were yesterday. 

Do the small things, even when they feel worthless, and keep plugging away at them. They add up over time. 

Be disciplined. Stay on the path and commit to seeing it through. 

Don’t settle for good enough. Keep pushing, striving and working hard to be your absolute best. 

True excellence isn’t found on the leaderboard or in your bank account. It’s found at the end of the disciplined path when you’ve given your all and know you’ve achieved the full measure of your potential.  

No secret path

There are no secret steps or hidden paths to success. 

It doesn’t matter whether you’re building a business, growing a family, or working towards any important goal, there is only one thing that truly works. 

The one thing that works is honing your craft, day in and day out, doing the right things over and over again. 

It’s not difficult to comprehend. It’s just really hard to do. 

Committing to the process requires a lot of you. It requires things like grit, accountability, confidence, passion, and discipline. 

These things may come more naturally to some than others, but they are all things you can develop and grow. 

You can’t control what you were born with, but you can take giant leaps forward in developing character and discipline today. 

 That’s 100% within your control. 

Apply yourself to those things. 

Commit to them. 

Make them your watch words and see how far they carry you.