Run

A good follow up to the lesson we had last Wednesday night in our DVD series:

Transcript, Christian Working Woman


Running Your Race

Monday, July 3, 2006

I'm sure we're all familiar with the Olympic games and enjoy watching the many different races they have. It is amazing to see how hard and long those athletes work to qualify for the Olympics. I want to talk about the race that you and I are in, and it's a lot more important than the Olympic races. It's described in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26:

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 want to point out three important guidelines Paul gives us here about running our race.

First, he says to run in such a way as to get the prize. Lately I've heard lots of reports of how some schools are trying to eliminate any system that has winners and losers, so that nobody's self-esteem will be wounded by not winning. Well, let me tell you, that's not the way we are exhorted to run our race for God. We're out there to win. Just participating and making a show isn't enough.

Second, we have to go into strict training. I think this is the part where lots of us lose our races; we haven't yet gone into strict training. What does that mean in our Christian race? It means purity of life; it means building our spiritual muscle and endurance through Bible study, prayer, fellowship. It means imposing on ourselves the sacrifices and disciplines that will make us strong.

Third, we are not to run aimlessly. We should have purpose, goals, and a strong commitment to get to the finish line. We can't flit from one thing to another; we must stay focused and run with a purpose.

All of our hearts stop beating when we see the Olympic ceremonies where those medals are awarded and the national anthems are played. When you're in the winners' circle, all the hard work and discipline are worth it.

I think if we could really get a vision of the prize that awaits us–that eternal prize–we'd get more serious about running our races. Can you imagine standing in God's winners' circle, hearing Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and winning a crown that you can then cast at the feet of Jesus? That scene makes the Olympics look like kid's play. Don't you want to be in that winners' circle? If so, you have to run to win, you have to go into strict training, and you have to run with a purpose.