Our daughter, Rishana, ran her 5th Hot Chocolate 15K yesterday! She runs and swims in several races each year, but she seems to especially like this one (could it have anything to do with all the chocolate waiting for her at the end? Hmm!).
We are incredibly proud of Rishana! She trains very hard for these races and puts her all into every one. Has she ever won? Not technically, but the truth is she wins every day she puts on her running shoes and hits the road. It doesn’t matter how far back she finished in this race. The important thing is she gave it her all.
We are all in a race, a race with a far sweeter prize than a cup of hot cocoa at the end. 1 Corinthians 9:25 says, “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.”
Rishana never would have finished those 15 kilometers if she hadn’t trained ahead of time. She had to watch what she ate, make sure she got enough rest, and, most importantly, get up off the couch each day and hit the road. Without the training she could have never claimed the prize.
The same is true in the race of life. True, salvation is a gift, for the Bible promises, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31), but there is still a work to do.
Just as Rishana cannot maintain her level of fitness without daily training and proper nutrition, so we cannot maintaining the saving relationship we have with Christ without daily time spent studying His Word, without spending time in prayer and fellowship with Him. There is no other way. If we want to win the prize we have to put in the time.
Rishana ran well yesterday. She deserves our praise, but her race is not over and neither is yours. A far greater prize is within your grasp, so run “…with purpose in every step.” Discipline your “…body like an athlete, training it do what it should.” (1 Cor. 9:26, 27).
Remember, you don’t have to run this race alone. If you will commit to spending daily time with Jesus He will be with you every step of the way. Don’t forget, He already ran the race and won. What better training partner could you have?
Our world is in its final days. The race is almost over!The finish line is in sight! Don’t stop now!
Run today! Run with Jesus! Run to win!