In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 the Christian believer is described as an athlete running the Christian life race. This description is truly appropriate in the New Testament as competition is tough requiring believer’s attention, focus and deep concentration. It is important and necessary to know how to run the Christian race. God’s Olympic demands endurance so matters to complete race to receive ultimate prize crown of life.
Christian believers are to run in such a way that you win. And everyone who competes in life is compared to athletes whereby people live daily as though in competition to win ultimate prize. The race is tough, demands walking, jogging, running, exercising faith, decisions and challenges in training. Life way at times needs crawling on hands, knees through exhaustion to achieve each run at own pace given by your God scope ability.Race demands strenuous exercise, gym, training, endurance skills, motivation, sacrifice, cost time, resources, requires support and fans to be at the ultimate Spiritual Olympic Level by faith through Christ. The symbolism aims to finish in style to win grand prizes in heaven so requires vigilant training of sacrifices. As Christ and Paul did among others to present the gospel message of salvation. The price paid for the prize costs a lot to accomplish by Jesus for you. So includes resilience in training daily in all kinds of weather by tenacity endurance skills.
Each race brings a new personal record (PR) but eventually you have race when conditions were not ideal, you weren’t feeling great, or you simply did not do the proper training. Some unforeseen problems dealing with crowd onlookers, fans, fellow runners means dealing with issues to cope with and helping others running race too. At times the Christian race is stressful, frustrating in efforts to improve own personal performance too and running faster by working harder to improve God’s Olympic Team.
Setting goals to improve own personal best finishing fast time daily, reviewing your visions, actions, goals, activities, profession, faith confession, objective analysis. Smart strategies help to check own strengths and weaknesses focus adapt daily. Doing this helps you to seek God’s face to see if on track or needs to focus more on inner strength, ministry, hospitality, teaching and preaching. Spiritual personal fitness depends on well – being. Renewing, transforming mind with God’s word, believing with confidence, trusting God to carry on.
First timers require help or promptings, encouragement, motivation to run short or long distances. To ensure champions experts have Godly approaches in place, to support, answer Bible questions and concerns of the new runners of what to expect in the Christian race. To help get understanding of God so be grounded, rooted in faith. To get more acquainted with God through Christ in prayer to endure challenges. A cloud of witnesses all around important to seek refreshing times in God’s presence to recharge own batteries to continue race without burn out. Paul said, he did not want to lead others to Christ to receive pat on back yet not make it to win the race or prize.
The race is not for the faint- hearted or weak in spirit so God’s Spirit helps us through Our Lord and Master dwelling in us to strengthen us to continue this race. Jesus is author and finisher of our faith so able to keep us to win the race to receive prize in Jesus Name. Behind the scenes training culminate in Gold medalists hero Usain Bolt running to win finishing line. The Christian life is like a race run to win prize so important to put in place helpful back up support, spiritual coach, mentor, umpire referee, depends on multi-talent sportsmanship demands. Celebration of prized reward is uplifting, exhilarating with visibility so all to see calibre of ultimate winners. And racing gradually builds up fitness, confidence, so exciting to see faith-race time records keeps improving to win prizes to the GLORY of God in Jesus Name.
GOD'S HOTSPOT 