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| Photo from Morguefile |
I do
all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.
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.
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.
Therefore
I do not run like a man running aimlessly;
I do
not fight like a man beating the air.
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.
1
Corinthians 9:23-27
Yesterday, as my husband and I attempted to pull out from
our driveway, a group of runners suddenly crested the little hill that comes up
from the YMCA. We waited patiently while nearly a hundred people jogged, ran,
plodded, and puffed by our house. We have no idea how long the run was or what
cause it supported. It was very obvious though that some were giving it their
heart and soul while others were merely tagging along for moral support. A few
runners were barely winded and a couple of them looked as though they were
praying “Just let me survive!”
Paul compares the Christian life to a race. In a race are
athletes who have spent much time, even most of their life, training for the
race. The goal of each one is to win and
receive the prize. They would not go
into the race expecting to win if they hadn’t trained for it.
As Christians we are running in the race of obedience to
Christ. Our goal is to please Him and spend eternity with Him. We must train daily for the race. But how do
we train for the spiritual race of our lives?
Reading God’s Word, talking with Him, trusting in Him,
surrendering our wants and desires to Him, and obeying His commands all
exercise our faith. Studying alongside other Christians and sharing our beliefs with those who ask also tune up our spiritual muscles.
In this race we will fail many times. It will not be easy. But we must keep on, like a runner who trips
and falls but picks himself up and continues to run. We must keep the goal in mind—the goal of
living a life that pleases God.
