No Pain, No Gain
“I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” -- 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
All athletes need to go through this, but most would probably rather skip it if it were possible. It’s probably the least fun part of sports. Yet it’s also the part that separates average athletes from top athletes.
Have you figured it out yet? It’s training. Athletic training involves many different things. Proper eating, weight training and practicing are all necessary in order to get into top playing condition.
As Christians, we need to train ourselves spiritually. This involves omitting sin from our lives and removing things that may not be sin but are a hindrance in our respective walks with Christ. An example of this is when sports in your life begin to take away from time that you need to be devoting to God.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that he trained spiritually so that he wouldn’t become disqualified for the prize. If a person comes into a game when he hasn’t been practicing or is out of shape, he is not qualified to play.
The same is true in our spiritual lives: We need to continually bring ourselves under God’s command so that we remain qualified for what He has for us.
- Are you properly training your body to be ready for competition?
- Are there any sins or distractions in your life that you need to remove?
“God, I want to win the prize. Please open my heart to Your Holy Spirit and show me the areas in my life where I need to train harder. Amen.”
