Why We Run The Race And Fight The Fight; To Win An Imperishable Crown!

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

This is one of my favorite New Testament passages and why I love St Paul so much. He could have played on my team anytime, anywhere and any day. He actually does play on my team, or rather it is I on his team. God’s team!

I thank my father, my mother and my brother for instilling in me the work ethic and perseverance in everything I do. The never say die attitude because of their example of sacrifice and teaching me discipline, obedience and putting in the necessary work as a younger man and athlete to discipline my body and make it my slave so I could perform on the field and rise up in “battle” and dig deep when tired and overcoming fatigue because of the hours of training put in to make my body strong and endure the tests it needed to win the victory.

These lessons learned as  a younger man carry over when you are an older man and you realize none of this was coincidence, but rather Godcident; as it was God Himself using his vessels and my loved ones to prepare me for what he had in mind later in my life to put in the necessary work and discipline to fight for Him and never surrender because I put in the work as a younger man, which enabled me to subject my body, mind, soul, intellect and will to His holy will for the glory of His kingdom right now here on earth and forever in heaven with Him.

This is how I resist temptation now. I am weak and can do nothing without Christ Jesus in me. It was He carrying me then as a younger man and it is He who continues to carry me now as an older man. I can only win the victory over sin and temptation because it was He who first won the victory over sin and temptation. It is when I am weak, then I am strong. It is because of Him I am strong. It is because of Him in me that I can overcome sin, temptation and weakness.

I must decrease and He must increase in me.

God bless and keep on walking by faith to live!!!