Good morning!
Text: 1 Corinthians 9-11; Psalm 99
1 Corinthians is filled to the brim with exhortation to those who serve our Lord. Consider 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.”
Sometimes I choose to relax when there is yet work to be done. Or, I allow myself to get distracted by trivial matters – weather or news on the Internet, small talk, political discourse. And sometimes I am convicted of all the things that the Lord has placed before me that I did not attend. Running a race to win is serious business. It takes training – hours of grueling work. It takes careful preparation of one’s body, attention to nutrition, sleep, and the right shoes. And, on race day it takes mental strength, perseverance, effort, and conviction. So does our everyday Christian life. We often use the word “walk” in reference to how we live. To win a race means running – running hard to win. I am going to start using the word “race” when I refer to my life in Christ.
in Him, Mike