The Christian Athlete, Dedication And Discipline

So yesterday I was reading in 1 Corinthians and wanted to share what I read.  Paul  uses metaphors that, as an athlete I really appreciate.  First I will share the passages and then do my best to break it down for ya'all:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win.  Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.  They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

The life we lead is a race, and a very difficult one.  While we strive to please God and grow in our relationship and joy with Him, we are assaulted from all directions with things that will slow us down in the race, that will put a wedge in our relationship with Him and our ability to witness to others.  This is why we have to discipline ourselves.  For example, it is so easy to skip reading the word of God for one day.  If we let ourselves not do it one day, it becomes easier to not spend time in His word the next.  It becomes easier and easier each time we do it.  If we are not disciplined in the arena of sexual sin, and slip up once, it becomes easier to do it the next time and easier and easier each time we do it.  You get the picture, without discipline our walk with Jesus can and will fall into shambles.  It might not seem like missing one thing will make much of a difference but it really will.  It is like an athlete, say a fighter who uses some excuse of something he has going or would like to do that night to miss one of his training sessions.  Well the next time something comes up it becomes easier to use it as another excuse and another until he finds himself training only occasionally.  If a fighter does this, not only will he not get better but his skills will start to erode and he will not be able to fight on a high level.  Our walk is just like this, though God will forgive us when we slip up as Jesus death on the cross payed for that, each time we slip up it will make it easier to slip up again in the future.  This erodes our relationship with God and in turn hurts our ability to witness to a lost world.  Paul tells us we must discipline ourselves just like a high level athlete.  Not just for our sakes but for the sake of the lost around us.  Our one true and lasting joy comes from God, the worlds salvation comes from God, and He uses us to reach a lost and dying world.  If we do not discipline ourselves in our spiritual walk, then we will not be able to reach the lost world, we will become just like it.  We need to all strive to become great spiritual athletes, practicing discipline in all areas of our spiritual life so that we might grow in our knowledge, understand and joy of God and so that He might use us to reach a lost and dying world to save them from hell and help them experience the joy we have in Him.  Paul was a smart dude!

Tim