Running Steadfasty

I Corinthians 9:24-27

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I disciplined my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (NLT)

Our “walk” in faith is a lot like being an athlete that is running a race. An athlete is disciplined in his training because they all have realized the more effort they put into training the greater they will achieve in the race. In life we all are running a race and it is a very confusing and complex race because each of us have a different starting place and don’t know when we will finish. I like to think of it like this, we all are running this race, starting in different spots, and we all have a compass (the Word of God) to direct us through the paths toward our finish lines. We each don’t know how much farther our race is, for our only job is to run with endurance towards the finish line with endurance. As we run this race, we can help others read their compasses by running alongside them and talking with them but ultimately we are responsible for our own races. Paul encourages us to run our race in faith with discipline so we can win the “eternal prize” of everlasting life.

This really has been challenging me in my faith. I know that I run races like the hair (in the tortoise and the hair fable) and go through seasons of sprinting and then seasons of napping. I also comfort myself in the times when I am asleep by helping others, which gives me the illusion that I am moving forward in my race when I truly am not. I am going to begin to learn how to run my race with discipline and endurance by writing down this verse and putting it in my Bible as a reminder to be aware and pray to God.