Usain bolt is undeniably the fastest sprinter in the world. But Usain Bolt could be faster if his start from the runner blocks was improved. Out of all the top shelf sprinters his starting response is probably the weakest. So he makes up for his weak starts with a great finish. The following article speaks to this very subject and tells the possibilities if Bolt could improve in just this one area.
From these statistics it is clear what Bolt’s weakest point is: he has a very slow reaction to the gun. This is not quite the same as having a slow start. A very tall athlete has got more moving to do in order to rise upright from the starting blocks and has longer limbs, with larger moments of inertia, to get moving (top athletes take about 0.3s to get out of the blocks). If Bolt could get his reaction time down to 0.13 s, which is very good but not exceptional, then he would reduce his 9.58 s record run to 9.56 s. If he could get it consistently down to an excellent 0.12 s then he is looking at 9.55 s, and if he responded as quickly as the rules allow, with 0.10s, then 9.53s is the result. In other words, he could be dramatically faster in his times by just improving one thing.
There is a very familiar scripture in the book of James that also talks about "life" improvement for all believers. It deals with response time in the reacting to what other people say and do. James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. James tells us to be quick in one specific area and that area is listening. If you are like me, when someone is saying something my mind is already thinking of my response to what they are saying and usually that response is flawed at best. Why? Because I am not pausing to consider the full extent of what they are saying and how I can "best" reply with a loving, Godly attitude. In verse 20 James says human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. Then he goes on to tell why that anger is there by saying "Get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts."
To be able to respond in the right way and then quickly listen before reacting we need to make sure there isn't any evil in our thoughts and life patterns. You see, the Word of God is a life-changing force we must consider and keep primary in our thinking and not just read it, but study it. In preparing this blog God has shown me so much more about myself and I like it!! But I must receive it to get the benefit of it. If I just read this scripture and realized what it said with no heart change it doesn't come alive in my life! Just like Usain Bolt I need to improve that area of my life and I will run this race in life more efficiently and be a more productive follower of Jesus and thus make a bigger impact wherever I go.
In the race of life we must continute to grow in our relationship with God and that is done by letting the Word of God guide our steps and part of that guiding is in the area of resonding to people. We need to be a quicker listener and a slower speaker so God can be the one responding through us. I love what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and this scritpure really gives us insight in to what it takes to get to that quick to listen attitude. 1 Corinthians 9:24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
So work on your reaction time by leaning into what God is saying and not into what someone else is saying and your reaction time will be life-changing for you and also for everyone you meet. The way God has been working on this area for me is I have been asking the Holy Spirit to fill me on a daily, and moment by moment basis, and my reaction time to listen is much better so I am running my race much more efficiently, and yes Godly. Praise God!!! Maybe like Usain Bolt your life race running time is very good, but you could run even better if you worked on your "Listening Reaction Time."
The Pilgrimage continues.....
David Warren
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