IBS 47 - 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27

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Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
I Corinthians 9:24-27

Running the race is hard. It’s easy to get discouraged or to start running in the wrong direction. Get off track or lose your way. Be too focused on the others running alongside you. Or fall and choose not to get back up. Or fall get back up but not be able to move past the fall. Which then causes for you to fall again. Or to be so self focused that you can’t run at full capacity because you’re too busy critiquing yourself. None of these things help you obtain the prize. People run races all the times whether physical or spiritual, we run a spiritual race, yet we try to make it something more or less than what it really is. We fix our eyes on so many other things that we lose sight of our prize. Jesus. He gives life. He is there faithfully helping us on as we run. He knows we fail. He knows we get stuck or fall or lose focus or have bad form but He aides us in all of it. It’s not that we run as others do because we have an eternal prize. And eternal crown. We have victory. Not because we ourselves have won or overcome or can finish the race. But all through His grace. He has enabled us and equipped us to be able to run with endurance and to keep going even when it’s hard, because we have a sure foundation, and it’s tested when the times get hard. But He is oh so faithful. So we must bring our bodies into submission of Christ to not disqualify ourselves when sharing His gospel. It’s so easy to say one thing and live another. But to be fully in submission to Him in all of us changes everything. We have hope that He who called us will be there to help us through. Because He is our prize and HE crowns us with life. He breathes life and He lifts us up. We don’t do this alone. We are not alone. So let us press on. Run faster. Harder. Stronger. Because in the end it’s not us. It’s all Him. Finish strong. 


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