This past weekend was the Flying Pig Marathon, were any of you “brave” enough to endure the training and horrible weather conditions to compete in the race? As a great amount of training is needed for a marathon, so we must train diligently for the Christian life. Such training takes time, dedication, energy, and most of all, perseverance. We must all commit ourselves to the Christian life, but we must first know the rules as prescribed in God’s Word.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV) “24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Winning a race requires discipline and dedication. We train ourselves to run the race of life, so don’t just jog a couple of laps periodically! Train diligently! Keep your eyes on Christ and don’t get sidetracked by “bad weather” or slowed down by the “weight of heavy shoes”. When we do this, we will win a reward in Christ’s kingdom.
Philippians 3: 12-14 (ESV) “13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Living the Christian life demands all of our energies. We have all done things for which we are ashamed, but because our hope is in Christ, we can forget the past and strain to reach the goal since we know Christ promises eternity with Him at the end of the race of life.
1 Timothy 4: 7-10 (ESV) “7Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
As we must repeat exercises to tone our bodies, so we must steadily repeat spiritual exercises to be spiritually fit. Spiritual exercises of prayer, Bible study and worship will help you grow in faith and character. When we do this, we are living in accordance with God’s will and become more Christ like.
2 Timothy 4: 7-8 (ESV) “7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
The Christian life is a fight against evil forces from the world around us and against temptation from within. If we stay true to God through it all, He promises a crown of righteousness in the end!
Like the apostle Paul, our goal should be to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all that Christ has in mind for us. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must endure the training and horrible weather conditions of the world around us to compete in the race of life. When we are with Christ, we will discover that it was all worth it!
