Running to Win

The Olympics are just about over. The closing ceremony is tonight. I always look forward to watching the games but at this point I don’t care if I ever see another back flip, back stroke, hurdle, dive, for next four years. I tire easily of watching the same thing. All jokes aside though, these games are, if nothing else, the meeting of the world’s greatest athletes. And this year was the year Black women owned the Olympics. All of these women have spent almost the entirety of their lives preparing for these games finally had an opportunity to compete and demonstrate their worthiness to be there. They are not there to look cute. They are not there to perform. They are not there watch they are in it to win it.

One thing that drives me crazy is when in track and field a athlete does not seem like they are going to win slows down in defeat prior to reaching the finish line. Winners never quite and quitters never win. I just want to ask them “why are you here if you’re not going to finish the race with everything that you have?” Why did you show up just too quite when things got rough? These same thoughts carry over into our spiritual lives. This is the house hold of faith. God has called us to live a life of love and obedience, and if you are a Christian you are in the race. And God is looking for his children to do what they have been trained, called, taught, encouraged, equipped, born to do. Some people do. And they will win. Others are like those who quit when it gets tough. When life gets hard all of a sudden they lose their praise. As soon as they fall behind in bills they can’t call on the Lord. As soon as they fall the stay down and wallow in the mud. As soon as its time to see what they are made of they collapse under the pressure of worldly opinions and human standards. You are going to have to make a decision to walk with Jesus faithfully and intentionally, doing what is required of you, whereby you receive what God has for you.

Paul’s day had Olympics too (talk about it and Isthmian Games)

1. Run Intentionally

Right out of the blocks Paul calls our attention to our intentions. He wants the church to understand that if they are going to get this grand prize that God has for them they are going to have to focus.

Paul says if you are going to go through the trouble of getting to the line, and entering the race you might as well run like you want to win the thing. And that is just we should be as followers of Jesus. If we are going to do something as a member of God’s kingdom we ought to put everything into it to be successful. Now what sense would it make to get behind the mic to preach if a preacher ain’t prepared a sermon? What sense would it make to get behind the mic to lead a song if you don’t know the words? What sense would it make to get married if you plan on keeping your side chick? What sense would it make to get a new job if you have a problem getting to work on time? What sense would it make to have children if you can’t take care of yourself? What sense would it make to say All Lives Matter but no say a word about black people drowning in Louisiana? What sense would it make to join church if you ain’t gonna participate? What sense would it make if your give your life to Jesus only to live the way you please? The world is running like a chicken with its head cut off, but you, child of God need to focus and run like you mean it.

Living to the glory of God (Preach)

2. Run In Control

The focus also has to do with self-control. This translates to off of the field too. You have to be able to control yourself because what you do outside of the track affects your performance in the track. What you do outside the church will affect your praise in the church. So he says everyone who competes has to exercise self-control in all things, because when you go into a race such as the 400m you need to have a strategy

3. Run towards the Imperishable

And they do all of this work for a wreath. A wreath. Do you know what a wreath is? It’s a crown made out of plants.

(Preach)

And as believers we are in a relay race of our legacy so if you quit you quit on the person coming behind you. And I’m so glad that those who came before me didn’t quit but kept their eyes on the prize so that I could have an advantage right now.

(African American Hero/n)…Finished the race. (Run)

4. Run Disciplined

Train