Friday: Train Like An Olympian

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercise self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wealth, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."     1 Corinthians 9:24-27

The Olympics are beginning later tonight in me home country of Canada so I thought this verse would appropriate. However, it does have an important message. In fact the Olympics began in 776 BC so it is very possible that it was the Olympic Games that influenced Paul to compare what he had to say to an athlete. Paul compares our Christian lives to that of a race in which we run. Every runner runs in order to receive a material prize. Paul draws the connection that we as Christians also run a race but our prize is imperishable, eternal life. Just as an athlete trains and exercises self-control in order to be the best they can be, we also must exercise self-control as to not become distracted and influenced by earthly pleasures. Paul is not saying that only one receives prize as in a race, but he is saying that we all are running for the prize. No one enters a race without caring to win, just as we are not to run aimlessly (or beat the air) in our Christian lives. We do not follow God's Word just for the heck of it. We do so because we firmly believe He exists and we want to please Him with our lives as we long to be with Him in eternal life. This does not mean that works are the means of Salvation. Salvation is what gets us into the race in a sense. Then we are to run with the goal of pleasing God with our lives in order to exalt Him as we will be held accountable for our works and rewarded accordingly. Every athlete who stands on the podium these next two weeks did not just decide to be there. They each have dedicated their entire lives to training and developing their skills in their one sport. An appearance in the Olympics, let alone a podium finish, is evidence of a lot of discipline, self-control and hard work. It is the same with us, we need to dedicate our whole life to serving and glorifying God, exercising self-control, discipline and dedication.

Beat the air? I'd rather not