Are you ready for the Olympics? The tragedies of recent days along with the political events in our country dominate the news. For good or for bad, sports redirect our attention. Walking through the Coliseum of Rome, our guide reminded us that the emperor wanted to please the people and take their minds off the difficulties of life. Not far away, the Circus Maximus provided chariot races like the one we remember from the movie Ben Hur. In Athens, we saw the birthplace of the Olympics.
Corinth had its own version of sporting events called the Isthmian Games. Their wrestlers grappled and sprinters raced. Paul picks up these images to describe his commitment to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship always entails intentionality. Hear Paul’s gritty determination, “I run to win . . . I am not shadow-boxing.” Paul was not competing to defeat other Christians. On the contrary, he knew the battle was internal. What if he spent his life helping others grow spiritually, but he himself fell by the wayside.
How would you rate your current spiritual progress? What progress have we made in our walk with Christ? Are we running to win the prize or are we happy to be spectators? Many of those who failed in their walk with God, fell in the second half of their lives. Every decision we make as followers of Christ either moves us closer to his purpose for our lives or farther away. Today, if we are going to run, let us run to win.
