YOU EITHER HAVE ONE OR YOU SMIRK AS YOU DRIVE past them—the 13.1 and 26.2 stickers on the backs of Honda Odysseys and Subaru Outbacks. These modern-day trophies for stay-at-home moms and weekend warriors are part of our nouveau bumper sticker culture. Regardless of your thoughts about the stickers, few would question the amount of dedication required to actually run a marathon. For most people it involves months of physical training, a significant diet adjustment, and even a reorientation of one’s schedule. Running a race of that magnitude requires laser-like focus.
In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote that Christians should view their lives as a race run for the sake of the gospel. Disciples of Christ should be like Olympic athletes whose dedication is unquestioned and whose focus is on nothing short of the gold. Paul’s use of this metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9 and then again in 2 Timothy 2 is employed because the apostle knew how easily we can get distracted by the things of this world. As resident aliens living in foreign territory, we need to keep our eyes set on kingdom business and give all our energies to it. To encourage his Corinthian readers, Paul offered three driving ideas to invigorate their running of this race.
Determination
First, we are to run with determination. Paul said, “So run that you may obtain [the prize]” (1 Corinthians 9:24). The prize for believers is the “imperishable wreath” of their homegoing to be with the Lord when they die. Paul was saying to put all you can into the knowledge that you will receive that prize. For some Christians their “race” may be a few short years, but for most they will be running for decades. As avid runners will tell you the lengthier races require a higher level of grit and perseverance due to both internal and external factors. It’s the same in the life of the disciple. We have to fight off sin internally and press through obstacles the world throws at us.
Direction
Second, we are to run with direction. We are not to run aimlessly but with a particular purpose and trajectory. Someone once said, “start with the end in mind.” As Christians we know that one day we will be standing inches away from the resurrected Lord, looking into his face as he welcomes us into our heavenly home. In that moment we are going to fully realize that the only thing that really mattered in this life was what we did for the gospel and the kingdom. So, Paul is saying with that in mind, live your life accordingly. The goal of our life should be Christ glorified – in us, by our neighbors, and among the nations.
Discipline
Third, we are to run with discipline. Continuing his running metaphor, Paul wrote, “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things” (1 Corinthians 9:25) and “I discipline my body and keep it under control” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Paul was consciously aware that the one thing that could most disqualify him from the race, the one thing that could most strip him of the greatest experience of his prize, was the flesh. It is the same for us. We must continually place the flesh under the control of the Holy Spirit. To do this we need to see the Spirit of God as our spiritual life and fitness coach. He provides us with a plan for spiritual nourishment, reminding us to avoid “junk food.” He also pushes us hard in the weight room of spiritual growth, putting us through all kinds of exercises that build our spiritual muscles so we may run the race with greater perseverance.
Here’s the plan I’ve seen work for just about every spiritual athlete:
Nutrition: The Word, Prayer, Worship, Community
Training: Service, Evangelism, Giving, Suffering
PRAYER
Father, I want to run my race with determination, direction, and discipline like an athlete crossing the finish line with chest out, not in pride but pressing hard through the last step. I need your Spirit to train me to run harder after the gospel. I need his help to have self-control to lay aside every weight that bears me down and to put off the sin that so easily entangles my feet, that my race may be run for the glory of Jesus Christ. Amen.
PONDER
- How did Jesus embody the metaphor of a persevering athlete, especially in his last days?
- Are you an athlete? If so, how does this metaphor encourage you? If you do not consider yourself an athlete, what is something in your life that requires determination, direction, and discipline?
- What area of your life is most in need of Spirit-empowered self-control?