Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27If you know me at all, you know that I am definitely not an athlete. I've never played a sport in my entire life, and I hate running! Despite my lack of athleticism, I have had good friends who played sports, so I have a very small amount of knowledge on the subject. I don't know much, but one thing I do know...if you want to be a good athlete, you have to be disciplined. Excelling at a sport will not happen overnight. If you want to be the best, you have to undergo countless hours of training, and it's hard work. I see so many teenagers completely dedicated to the sport they play. The amount of time, money, and energy poured into their sport is unreal. Sadly though, I have seldom seen this level of commitment to the Christian walk among teens. The amount of time spent reading the Word, praying, or memorizing Scripture would pale in comparison to the amount of hours spent training for their sport.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul challenges believers to see their Christian walk as a race. In verse 24 he says, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." I don't know any star athletes who make it their goal to do an average job. No, their goal is to win. Unfortunately, we oftentimes don't live out our faith with the mentality that we want to be the best follower of Christ that we can be. We justify our lack of progress or spiritual maturity by comparing ourselves to someone who is weaker in the faith than we are. We look at the "spiritual giants" who we know as people we could never become, so we don't even try. As a whole, we are apathetic believers who do the bare minimum to avoid feeling guilty, not passionate followers of Christ wholeheartedly devoted to Him.
In verse 25, Paul explains, "Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." The amount of self-control necessary to become an Olympic athlete is unreal. They train for hours and hours every single day, waking up at the crack of dawn to cram in extra work-outs. They don't allow themselves the pleasures the rest of us enjoy...junk food, staying up late, sleeping in, etc. They sacrifice so much, just for the purpose of winning a medal. The thing about that medal is that it is perishable. It won't last forever. When you think about the level of commitment athletes display for a temporary earthly treasure, it seems crazy that we as Christians would not display this kind of dedication to earning rewards in heaven, which are eternal and will never fade.
Paul goes on to say in the following verse, "Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way as not beating the air" (26). Paul lived a live of purpose. He explains that he made a point to be intentional in his actions and choices. He didn't waste his life on empty pursuits, but he dedicated his entire life to living for Christ. How much of our days are spent on meaningless and pointless pursuits?
Finally, he concludes by saying, "but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified" (27). Let me first point out that when he talks about being disqualified he is not talking about loss of salvation but loss of rewards in the kingdom. As humans with a sinful flesh, we're continually tempted and led astray by ungodly desires of the flesh. Rather than letting the flesh control you, Paul tells believers to beat their bodies into submission. Oftentimes you won't feel like reading your Bible or getting on your knees in prayer. You won't want to fast or wake up early for church or share the gospel with others. You'd rather watch TV or get on facebook than spend time memorizing Scripture or doing your Bible study. Living out the Christian faith requires great discipline. You have to force yourself to get up early for your quiet time, and you have to discipline yourself to spend extended time in prayer. Remember that you aren't going to become holy overnight. You aren't going to become knowledgeable of the Scriptures by accident. This takes hours and hours of disciplined training.
Is your Christian life an aimless wandering stroll, or is it an earnest and intense race? If we're honest, most of us fall into that first category. What changes do you need to make in order to discipline yourself? In what areas do you need to exercise more self control? Let's all run as if to win!!
