Run To Win
Today is the first full day of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. This provides a nice break from the everyday as athletes from around the world compete for metals in various sporting events. Some of these athletes have trained for years, every day, to get this point. And for what? A metal and good story to tell. But there isn't an athlete in Torino who will not go all out to get that prize.
Paul must have been a sports fan himself. When he writes to the Corinthians he cannot help but bring up a reference to the biennial Isthmian games that were held eight miles from Corinth in the first century. He compares living your faith in Christ to training as an athlete for the games. "Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. (1 Cor 9:24)"
If athletes will "enslave" their bodies through rigorous training to win a simple and ultimately worthless prize, how much more dedicated should we be as we live our faith in Christ with an "imperishable" prize of salvation awaiting us?
Using the tools of faith training: prayer, study, worship, inviting, love, giving, and service... our bodies become spiritually fit. Not only do we have an "imperishable" prize to look forward to, but we are better able to embrace the blessings and tasks God wants for us today.
As a Christian you are already in this race of life... so lets listen to our coach and run this race to win!
Paul must have been a sports fan himself. When he writes to the Corinthians he cannot help but bring up a reference to the biennial Isthmian games that were held eight miles from Corinth in the first century. He compares living your faith in Christ to training as an athlete for the games. "Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. (1 Cor 9:24)"
If athletes will "enslave" their bodies through rigorous training to win a simple and ultimately worthless prize, how much more dedicated should we be as we live our faith in Christ with an "imperishable" prize of salvation awaiting us?
Using the tools of faith training: prayer, study, worship, inviting, love, giving, and service... our bodies become spiritually fit. Not only do we have an "imperishable" prize to look forward to, but we are better able to embrace the blessings and tasks God wants for us today.
As a Christian you are already in this race of life... so lets listen to our coach and run this race to win!
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