Run IN Such A Way As To Win

UV 4176/10000. Run in Such a Way As To Win Now every athlete who (goes into training and ) competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we (do it to receive) an imperishable (crown that cannot wither) I Corinthians 9 v 25 God does not want anyone to be a loser. He wants us to be successful, eternally successful. He wants us to run in such a way as to win. Before the actual event, we need to be in training for a long while. We need to exercise discipline and self-control in all things, our diet, our regimen of exercise and fitness. Instead of being enslaved to the passions of the body, we need to enslave our bodies to make it obey our will to win. We need to cut out unnecessary engagements, distractions, disturbances and work with focus towards the goal we have set before us – to win in the race of life. We cannot win the race of life without a coach, a pace setter, a guide, a counsellor. That coach is the Lord Himself and the Holy Spirit. Jesus set for Himself the goal of dying on the cross as a sin offering for all Jews and Gentiles. Scripture records that He set His face like flint towards the cross on His last journey to Jerusalem. We cannot win the race of life without God’s grace. At the same time, we cannot sit back and rest. We need to display more grit, dedication, determination, devotion, discipline, diligence than an Olympic gold medallist as we edge towards the finishing line of life for the athlete is aiming for a prize that is temporal, perishable. He is working only for a moment of glory when he stands on the podium while we are working for a crown of eternal glory. We must not do or say anything that will disqualify us from taking part in the race or the victory ceremony in the eternal realms. In order to win, Paul writes that we should have a specific goal on which we should focus. We must strain every nerve and muscle, spare no effort to attain that goal with the help of the Almighty. In an athletic race, we need to discipline the body in the main while in the race of faith, we need to discipline our thoughts, emotions, appetite, speech, lifestyle, choices. Hence, it is not just a more rewarding race but a more challenging one. It takes commitment, total commitment to be a runner in the race of life. Another important difference from other races is that the relative performance of others does not affect our winning the prize. As long as we finish the race, we are all declared winners.