[B]0925 AJ Week 3 [/B]is found here: [URL]https://oscraps.com/community/threads/september-aj-challenge-week-3-commitment.42821/[/URL]
[B]Commitment - Staying the Course[/B]
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run in such a way as to win. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever”. 1 Corinthians 9:24, 25
This passage uses the metaphor of an athletic race to encourage Christians to live a disciplined life, undergoing self-control and sacrifice to attain an eternal reward rather than a temporary one.
You’ve heard it said, “The hardest part is to start…..this or that.” That is true in most instances for things we want to do. But then the vision or the plan we had in our mind just doesn’t seem to be as easy to get started as we had envisioned.
It’s the same in the Christian life. We “plan” to read our Bibles and pray everyday, but somehow life always seems to get in the way! Maybe it’s an unexpected phone call, or a sick child, or a ….. you fill in the blank. It is inevitable that we are going to have troubles and trials in this sin-cursed world, but the goal is always to finish our race. When the disciples got caught in storms they didn’t turn back, they always moved forward to their destination. They stayed the course no matter what. I’m sure they were tempted to “jump ship” but when Jesus calmed the “storm” they had gotten themselves into, they continued on their journey. Runners must not look back, but rather fix their eyes on the finish line; Christians are to focus on Jesus, not past failures or future anxieties, to complete their spiritual journey.
The goal should always be to reach the destination that God has predetermined for us. The opening passage of scripture above uses the metaphor of an athletic race to encourage Christians to live a disciplined life, undergoing self-control and sacrifice to attain an eternal reward rather than a temporary one. The "race" represents the Christian life, and the "prize" is the eternal reward that comes with living faithfully for God. Just as athletes train rigorously for a perishable crown, believers should exercise strict discipline and self-control in all areas of their lives for an imperishable reward. Paul contrasts the temporary, perishable wreath (the prize of ancient games) with the imperishable crown that awaits believers, emphasizing the long-term value of their efforts. The passage calls believers to run their spiritual race with purpose and focus, not with uncertainty or in a way that would lead to being disqualified from the prize................