August 4, 2023

Run Your Race

By Skip Heitzig

On a number of occasions, the apostle Paul used analogies from the sporting world. He obviously loved sports. In Acts 20, he said, "None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy" (v. 24). He saw his life, his ministry, as a race. At the end of his life, he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).

In his letter to the Philippian church, he wrote, "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). That's the language of a runner.

In 1 Corinthians 9, he used an extended analogy because his audience included sports fans. They had the Isthmian Games in Corinth, which were almost as popular as the Olympics. So he pulled his analogy for the Christian life from something they would be familiar with, essentially saying, "I'm running a race, and I have a goal in mind. I'm in it to win it." His decisions were based on his calling as an apostle, one who loves the people for whom Christ died.

"Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown" (v. 25). For the first-place winner in any ancient athletic competition, the prize was a little wreath of leaves they'd put on your head, sometimes olive leaves, or in Corinth, a pine needle wreath. That's it. They did all that work to win a wreath (or "crown") that would wither away in a week. Our reaction would be, "You did all that work for that?" And that's Paul's point. Instead of a perishable wreath, we run the race "for an imperishable crown" (v. 25).

Now, athletes are very focused. They make decisions to get up earlier, work harder, and train longer. They skip dessert after dinner. They go to bed early for a good night's sleep, so they can train again the next day. And Paul essentially said, "That's how I live my Christian life."

He continued, "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty"—that is, "I'm not trying out my new running shoes, or deciding if I want to run today or not. I'm an actual runner, spiritually speaking." He declared, "Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air"—that is, "I'm not just shadowboxing or posing. I'm an actual fighter." And finally, he said, "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (vv. 26-27).

You and I are in a race, and we see the goal in the distance. How are you doing in that race? Are you still running hard? Or are you sort of strolling, posting photos on Instagram so people think you're a runner? Are you one who used to run, and now you just sit in the bleachers and yell your criticism at those on the track? For some Christians, all they do is watch those who are running, and say, "I sure wouldn't do it that way."

So, how's your race? How are you running? We each have our own race, our own goal, our own calling, our own decisions to make. What propels you? What prompts you? It should be the calling of God and the love of Christ.

"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" (v. 24).

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For more from Skip Heitzig, visit ConnectwithSkip.com, and listen to today's broadcast of Connect with Skip Heitzig at OnePlace.com.