I Corinthians 9:27 “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
One reason that more people do not enter the Olympics, or sports in general, is because of the hard work involved. Besides possible time constraints, they know it requires a determined mindset that is not going to quit.
When you consider the training schedule of the people famous in their sport, and how many hours they practice a day, it is no wonder they got good at it. If Christians did the same – read their Bible every day, pray, witness, and faithfully attend and be an active part of their church, it would make a huge difference in their life and in others around them.
Many people would rather just take it easy – including Christians. The Lord Jesus never gave disciples that option. His words quickly separated the serious disciples from those who want to play being a Christian. In Mark 8:34, He said: “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
In the text verse for today, Paul said that he took the same attitude toward living for God that the Olympian hopeful takes – he disciplines his body to keep going and do what needs to be done – working harder than his competitor. Sports individuals who do not practice regularly will soon be exposed because they cannot do what others who regularly practice can do. As Paul put it, they become a “castaway!” No longer qualified for a prize by their own choice!
Christian, is your life worthy of Christ’s praise when we stand before Him and all is revealed? Of course, none of us are perfect – but some are seeking hard to please God with their life and witness. You can be sure that our Lord takes notice. Paul is one of them whose example we can follow with God’s help – and we know he received a prize. Don’t quit now – He is coming soon!
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Earlier in this three-part series: