24 JUNE

RUN AS AN ATHLETE!

“All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

(1 Corinthians 9:25)

I remember the excitement of watching Usain Bolt sprint to victory at the 200 metres race in the World Athletics Championships in year 2009, breaking the world record with a time of 19.19 seconds. He still holds the record as the world’s fastest man. The two things he insists were responsible for this outstanding victory were his fitness regime and diet.

As Christians, we are pilgrims on a journey home to heaven. We are in a race, though not a competitive one. Thus, as we run our Christian race, let us do the same as every successful athlete! The same? Yes, but our fitness regime and diet are not just physical but much more spiritual.

Spiritual diet – Feeding on the Word of God and other things that edify through the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. With discipline, we should reject the lust for “unhealthy diets”. These may come from these same gifts of the five senses through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, through which Eve, the first woman was deceived.

Spiritual fitness regime/ exercise – Practice of the Word of God, gifts and fruit of the Spirit. Just as the athlete runs according to the rules of the race, so we must also run our spiritual race according to the rules that God has set for us in His Word. 

ACTION: Determine and pray to walk in obedience, as “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5).

PRAYER: Help me, Lord, to run the race to heaven lawfully and successfully.