Today’s Devotion
Topic: Determined To Run The Race Ahead! (Part 4)
Text: Hebrews 12: 1b
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Amen
In an attempt to understand how the Christian race ought to be run effectively, we decided to look at three sub-thematic areas. That is running with PASSION, PURPOSE and DISCIPLINE. We already explained in previous days that all runners who will excel must have strong PASSION and a strong sense of PURPOSE for both the sport and the prize. In like vain, the believer who will make it to the finish line must demonstrate strong passion for the faith and have a PURPOSE to be commited to the ultimate goal of receiving a crown from the Lord as a good and faithful servant.
Today, we want to look at how to run the Christian race with a great sense of DISCIPLINE.
In 1 Corinthians 9:25, Paul writes that “everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.” The Greek word for “competes” is “agonidzomai”, from which we get our English word “agonizes.” In order for an athlete to compete and win, he must exercise ruthless SELF-CONTROL and DISCIPLINE.
Those who will participate in major games like the Olympics, train for about ten months prior to the race. When others are partying, they have to say “No.” When others stay up late into the night for fun, they have to say “No.” When others sleep too much, they must learn to balance sleep with hard work. When others take a life of ease and comfort and pleasure, they have to strive in order to stand out.
Honestly, if an athlete wants to win a race, he cannot afford to live like others. He has to deny himself of many things that others could indulge in. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
Paul goes on to say in verse 26 that “I box in such a way as not beating the air.” What does he mean by that? He explains in verse 27… “but I discipline my body and make it my slave.” The word “discipline” literally means “to beat black and blue; to give a black eye.” Further he says, “I make it my slave.” In other words, “I force my body to do what it ought to do, not what it wants to do.”
We can comfortably say that Paul’s body did not always want to walk all day long to the next town. It didn’t want to go through sleepless nights. It didn’t want to be stoned. It didn’t want to be whipped. It didn’t like being hungry. But if Paul was to finish his course well, he had to cause his body to do what it didn’t want to do; he had to discipline it.
So, like a boxer who makes every punch count, Paul beat his body into submission and forced it to surrender to God’s will.
Winning this race means loving God; and loving God includes communion with God which will require effort. It will require you to force your body to rise in the morning so you have time to be with God before you head off to work. It will mean making your body cease doing a million other things, so that you can do the one thing needful: find your delight in God’s presence. And your body won’t like this one bit! This will mean making your body go to church, Bible study, community group, or prayer meeting when it is tired and would like to pamper itself. Meditate on this and pray for strength to practice and master these three virtues in your Christian walk with the Lord.
NB: WE ARE SORRY WE HAVE HAD TO POSTPONE THE CONCLUSION OF OUR SELF ASSESSMENT SERIES TITLED “THE MEN WHO WOULDN’T BOW” to next week Saturday. This is just to make way for a consistent and smooth flow of our current series. We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this might cause.
Tomorrow, God willing, we will look at the possibilities of running the race anyhow, and being disqualified from getting the prize. Kindly make a date.
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