Perserverence

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

New King James Version (NKJV)
Striving for a Crown

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.



Today the Olympic Opening Ceremonies will be broadcast from London, England to the world. Much of the world has been looking forward to this day with great anticipation and hope! Every nation hopes to achieve bragging rights of having the "best" by winning gold medals.As I though about the word opening I was struck by the irony of the word. Opening paints a picture of a beginning point, a starting place and although that is true for these particular competitions, it is far from the beginning for the participants!. Years of training, discipline and competitions have preluded this particular point in time. Most of these athletes began training as children for their events. All of them know the agony of defeat, the thrill of success and the difficulty of dedication. I am sure all of them at one time or another wondered if it was really worth the early mornings, late nights, giving up of television, birthday parties, dances, school functions, torn muscles, aching or broken bones, and bruises. They had times they wondered if the hard work and perserverence would bring them to their goal. They all had skills that seemed impossible to "get" when they were in the process of learning them. Some of them may have even given up at one time and quit and then returned because of their love for the sport. I promise you Beloved that every athlete competeing at the Olympics is glad they perservered now. The hardships of training are behind them and they are all jubilant to be in London this year!

Paul likens our Christian walk to a race. There are certain things that God asks us to do to help make our walk easier. God teaches us to Hide His word in our hearts so we don't sin against Him (Psalm 119:10-12). Memorizing scripture is not easy but with God's help, it is not impossible. Memorizing and meditating on God's word gives us tools in our arsenal to defeat discouragement, depression, and temptations. It is the tool that gives us strength when we are weak, hope when we are hopeless and words to encourge the down trodden around us. God's word teaches us about God's character. It reveals the image of Christ, who we are striving to be transformed  into (Romans 12:2). It is one of the greatest skills we can aquire!

Another part of our training is prayer. Luke records numerous times that Jesus drew away to pray. Just like athletes depend on their coach for guidance, instruction, correction, and encouragement, we must depend on God. If an athlete showed up for practice unwilling to communicate with their coach the would not improve. Simply showing up is not enough. Simply showing up for church and Sunday school is not enough either. We must be willing to be active in our training! Training is never easy but when the opening ceremony begins for you in heaven you will recall all of your training with great joy!

Father, thank You that You never give up on me! You never lose patience. You wait with loving arms and kind words for me to seek You perfect coaching. Search me and know my heart. Show me if there is any wickedness in me. Create in me a clean heart. Help me to hide Your words in my heart so that I might not sin against You! Prepare me for eternity with You! In Jesus healing, saving name, amen!

And They're Off.....

Daily Devotion brought to you by Shelley Brandon, Grief and Encouragement Coach

 

Hebrews 12:2 MSG

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

We live in a race.  Some call it a rat race, some call it a maze.  Either way it’s a lot of energy expended on doing things that don’t need to be done.  Don’t sweat the small stuff, right?

I don’t know about you, but I can get so caught up in the small stuff that I lose sight of my destination, my goals.  This happens in my day to day activities as well as long range objectives.  I can get on the computer to send encouragement to a friend and get so caught up in everyone’s Facebook status updates that I completely forget what it was that I started out doing in the first place.  For me cleaning house should be a marathon event.  I spend so much time walking back and forth after the supplies that I thought I already had with me that I’m exhausted before even one room is done. 

Getting caught up in day to day activities prevents me from keeping my focus on what I’m supposed to be doing for Christ.  I allow the busyness of life to weigh me down and drag me under to the point where I’m completely useless as His ambassador.   We’re talking lead blankets on all my limbs type of weighted down.  Dragging the lead blankets against the current of a mighty river weighted down.

That is not what Jesus wants us to do.  Paul tells us that we are to strip down and start running.  Pretty sure he didn’t mean our clothes here, but rather all of the stuff of living that just doesn’t matter.  I love the Message version of scripture.  No spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.  Your sins have been forgiven, leave them behind you and keep running.  Don’t get so caught up in religion that you lose sight of the Savior. 

Read the Gospels and get back to the important tracks of the race.  Embrace Easter and live!