“24 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. 25 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. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly;
I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 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 9:24-27 NIV
Do you yell at your
television? I do. It’s not the TV’s fault, in fact it isn’t
even the TV that I am yelling at. I’m
yelling at my team, the Houston Texans.
Why did the quarterback throw that horrible pass that resulted in a pick
six? Why did the defense line up in the
neutral zone on third and one? Why? Why?!
Okay, I need to calm down, catch my breath and then ask myself; “why am
I so upset? It is kind of funny that we
can see the failure of others along with the areas where they could improve,
and yet fail to see our own faults and shortcomings. Imagine if we could take the passion of a fan
for his favorite team and had that same passion for personal spiritual
growth? When Paul gives us the
illustration of the athlete in 1st Corinthians 9, he helps us notice
that it is important that the athlete train with purpose, to prepare himself to
compete and win. The commitment and
passion an athlete must have to be successful is hard imagine and yet we see
the results of their commitment at events like the Olympics or the Super
Bowl.
Let’s use the passion that
we exhibit while watching our favorite team play for something greater than
yelling at the TV, let’s use that passion to commit ourselves daily to train
for the prize. To read our Bible, to
think ways we can apply it’s message in our daily routine, to pray often
through out each day, and to commit to loving the people around us the way God
loves them. If we commit to that kind of
training, there is no doubt we will receive the prize that lasts forever!
- Vic
