Watching the recent Olympics in Paris, I and many Christians were saddened and frustrated at the opening ceremony which seemingly ridiculed Jesus’s last supper with his Disciples. But we must remember that Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me first, before it hated you.” (John 15:18) This didn’t cause me to boycott watching the Olympics, instead it gave me an opportunity to see how Christian athletes responded in the midst.
How gratifying it was that many athletes from many countries proudly lifted high the banner of Christ by publicly professing their faith and praising God on the biggest stages of their lives! Interestingly, the Bible uses many sports metaphors to describe the Christian life—calling us to seek an eternal crown by faithfully running the race God has set before us.
Paul told us “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:24, 25) Paul wants to make sure that spiritually you are running for the gold medal, and that you get across the finish line. If ever a word described the Apostle Paul, it would be “contender.” He didn’t just live life, he attacked it. In Acts 14, Paul was preaching in Lystra when enemies turned the crowd against him. They stoned him, dragged him outside the city, and left him for dead. When he came to, the Bible says “he got up and went back into the city.” He had such a burning desire to preach the gospel that even the threat of physical violence couldn’t keep him away. Talk about a contender!
There is a huge difference between the mindset of contenders and pretenders. A pretender’s mindset is often concerned about their image and fitting in, while contenders are more concerned about authenticity and integrity. A pretender’s mindset tends to settle more for a mediocre, casual Christianity that quits when things get difficult, but contenders strive for excellence and grow through their difficulties.
Just as athletes undergo strict training, we are also called to train ourselves for our race in this life. Our competition is much different as we compete against selfish influences, society influences, and satanic influences. As Christians we need to accept the fact that if we are attempting to follow after Christ, then we are in training—and always will be until we see Jesus face to face! Our race in the life of faith isn’t a 100-meter dash; it is a marathon.
So, what should we do? The Bible says to “train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8) This week, how can you begin your spiritual training, if you haven’t already? Do you need to wake up and open your Bible app before scrolling anything else? Do you need to set a reminder for a set time to pray? Do you need to swap your normal music routine for praise and worship? If you haven’t been intentionally running your race for Jesus, then decide today to repent and change. Definitely, go to the church of your choice on Sunday, and worship along with the encouragement of other believers.
If you don’t currently have a church home, we’ll always welcome you to LECC at 415987 Highway 9, Eufaula, where we have small group Bible study at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m., and Wednesday night all-age classes and activities at 6:30 p.m. Start faithfully running the race God has set before you. Go for the gold, and claim your reward!
God Bless You!
Jeremy Little, Minister
