Running to Win

1 Cor. 9:24-27

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. (NIV)

As I write this, many athletes all over the world are preparing to compete in the summer Olympics in China. They have spent years in training and preparation to have that perfect moment in time where they can say that they are the very best and put that gold medal around their necks and here their country’s national anthem played.

The apostle Paul makes reference to athletes, in this case runners and boxers, who competed in similar games to the ones we will watch at the Olympics. He makes a comparison and a contrast in how Christians should live the Christian life.

Paul says that we should live our Christian lives to win. The sense is almost like we should live our lives in such a way as we would be the only winner. Now we know that there will be many more people than us in heaven, but we ought to live here on earth like the runners who want to be the very best. We ought to want to be the very best follower of Jesus we can be, live to win! There are too many believers in our world today who are just happy to be in the race, they are not running to win.

How do we do that? Paul gives us a couple things that we need to do in order to run to win. First we need to go into training. Nobody can become good enough to compete in the Olympics much less win, without first going into training. What is the training for us as Christians? They are the spiritual disciplines of prayer, and studying the Bible. Doing these disciplines on a consistent basis, gives us the strength and endurance to live to win. Second, we must focus on Jesus and His kingdom. Paul talks about running aimlessly and throwing punches in the air. We are not to do that as believers. Athletes have a plan when they train and they are focused on completing that plan because they believe that it is the best way to prepare in order to win. Making the spiritual disciplines a regular part of our lives allows the Holy Spirit to work in us and keep us focused on living, and looking at life the way Jesus would want us to live and look at life, running it to win.

Finally, we should want to live our lives to win because the prize waiting for us is eternal, it is not temporal like the medals or the crowns that athletes here on earth will win. We are to live our lives with an eternal perspective which is a Jesus perspective, doing the things that will have eternal impact. That is how Paul lived his live and he talks about at the end of his life here on earth.

2 Tim. 4:6-9

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8]

Reflections on Revival

I always find it interesting when I hear a preacher say that there is a revival coming across our nation. It seems like this has been announced for at least the last 10 years. Statistics have certainly indicated that there is not revival happening in our nation. There is not even a sense of revival in churches and quite frankly I am not sure it is going to happen anytime soon. Why you ask?

The reason I don't think revival is on the horizon is because for any revival to occur in the lives of Christians, there must first be an attitude and action of repentance. We must look at our actions and thoughts through the eyes of God and if they are sinful, confess them to him and see that they are sinful. We must also with action do what it takes to turn from that behavior and move toward the behavior that God wants us to do and ultimately turn back to God and living for Him and for His glory.

I find it hard to see revival on the horizon because I quite frankly, don't see a whole lot of Christians willing to repent of anything! Oh they are quick to say that someone else needs to repent, but not look in the mirror and see what they need to repent of.

Part of the problem is that there is not a whole lot of talk or preaching on repentance in the church today so I think people don't understand its importance. They also have an understanding that once they are saved, they don't have to repent anymore. This would be a wrong assumption on their part.

Until we see brokeness for our own sin, revival will not come.

In Him,

Rich