18TH JANUARY
1 Corinthians 9:24
“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.”
Live the Christian life with all your energy, leaving nothing behind!
Paul’s aim and ambition in life was to serve God and worship him to the best of his ability. He wanted to give it everything he had. From the outset, Paul was focusing his eyes on Jesus and going for gold. He wasn’t satisfied with sloppy living, he was staying alert and in top condition.
As Christians, we are not called to do short runs. We are not called to run for a little bit and then walk and then run some more. If you walk when you should be running, you run the danger of finding yourself in the place described in Psalm 1—walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners and finally sitting in the seat of scoffers.
Walking allows you to get distracted by what is happening around you. Running does the opposite. Running is challenging. It takes physical effort and mental concentration to be able to run and keep running even when you feel like you can’t do it. It takes discipline and hard work.
You are not called to walk. You are called to run and not to run leisurely! Run to the best of your ability, focused on Jesus so that when you end up at the finish line you can hear God say to you: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
MAKE IT PERSONAL
On a scale from 1 to 10, how well do you think you are running the race? What can you do to help you run the race better?