RUNNING THE RACE 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. 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. 1 Cor. 9:24-25. Hi folks. Anyone following the last few days or so of these devotionals knows I have been preoccupied with the Walk. ; ) Today my thoughts are geared more to the Race. : ) Why the race? First off, I found it interesting that just in a cursory glance of scripture run the race is mentioned in the verse above as well as 2 Timothy 4:7 and Hebrews 12:1. So what makes up the athlete/Christian for the RACE? In any sport, unless you have the DESIRE to compete and win your training is pointless. You can have all the knowledge and go through the religious smoke and mirrors of Christianity; but unless residing within you is an unquenchable desire to follow hard after the Lord, to know HIM in HIS fullness, the final record will show us coming up short. How far we will go in God is determined by the desire of our heart---Psalm 37:4. : ) According to the words of Paul, God is at work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. There is good news! : ) Next up is PREPARATION. God is at work in us to prepare us for the days that lie ahead. We must not take lightly this time of preparation. We must not waste the time even in knowing that God is patient, working for eternity, and his timetable is not like that of man. With him, a thousand years are as one day. An important part of Gods training program is DISCIPLINE or becoming sure-footed. Before we can compete we must become established, firmly rooted, grounded and settled in the faith. This period of preparation is necessary to strengthen our spiritual muscles. ; ) To qualify for the finals, one must be OBEDIENT in abiding by the rules of the competition. In Gods kingdom, as well, certain laws and guidelines cannot be violated. Jesus spoke of those who offered to work for him but did not complete the instructions. Afterwards, they went their own ways. : ( Many athletes focus on the initial speed of their progress, but overlook one far greater factor of successful athletic and fail to ENDURE TO THE END. Unfortunately they lack CONSISTENCY. We might start out in the front lines, leading, but if our progress is not consistent we will become entangled with the affairs of this life and we can fall back as we become weary with the stress of the race. Our lives in eternity are being affected now by the choices we make daily. Joe sounds like a guilt trip now, or you are laying rules and regulations on me or just trying to scare me?! Thats not the focus at all brothers and sisters. We see fad diets/exercise programs/self improvement regimens/New Years resolutions/etc. that all start and then die. The point is this: Jesus told us, amongst many things, to count the cost of being a disciple. Not to scare us or make it more difficult, but to let us know what it would take. : ) So wheres the good news in that?! The good news is that Jesus has already provided everything we need to succeed and finish the race in His strength and grace. The question: are we abiding, moment by moment, in those provisions? : ) Food for thought. Love and blessings! : )
Posted on: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 15:36:06 +0000
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