A unique look at discipleship from an interesting passage! Learn from God how to disciple and learn from Cain how not to respond to His discipleship.

by Ryon Reasen

Michael Phelps is an American swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals. He also holds the all-time record for Olympic gold medals with 18, which is double the second highest record holders. His list of honors, awards, accomplishments, and records is enormously lengthy, and he stands as the greatest swimmer of all time.

What has contributed to his incredible success? An August 2008 article examined Phelps' physique and demonstrated several unique features that helps Phelps as a swimmer.

First, although he stands at 6'4" and most peoples' wingspan equals their height, Phelps' wingspan is 6'7", allowing his arms to work like powerful propulsive paddles. The article also states that his lower body, interestingly, is shorter than that of an average man of his height. His relatively short legs result in less drag or resistance. In short, Phelps has an upper body of a 6'8" person but his lower body seems to be of someone who is only 5'10", which also make the perfect plane in water. Then there's his size-14 feet and double-jointed ankles that allow him to whip his feet as if they are flippers. Finally, Phelps eats 12,000 calories a day, but his body produces less lactic acid than most other people which means he takes less time to recover after a swim.

So, Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer of all time, because he's built perfectly for it, right? Wrong! The article goes on to state that Phelps swims 60 miles a week and maintains a mind-boggling daily routine. Without his workout program, Michael Phelps would still have a "freakish" physique, but nothing to show for it. His God-given gifts had to be complemented with his own rigorous effort in order to accomplish the results that have made him famous.

Likewise, believers have been given a unique "spiritual physique"—"old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). They have the life of God, as they are "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). Yet, unless they use what they've been given, they'll still have a "new man" nature, but nothing to show for it. The believer's God-given gifts (2 Peter 1:1-4) have to be complemented with his own diligent effort (2 Peter 1:5-7) in order to accomplish the results that glorify Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8-11).