Run with it!

When I was in high school we held a game each year called a Powderpuff.  This was a time when the girls became football players and the guys cheered for them.  If memory serves me correctly, the senior girls played against the junior girls or something like that.  All I know is that I couldn’t wait to play.  I loved playing sports and I loved winning.  I hated losing a game, a race, or a position.  I liked to win and this powderpuff game was no different.  I stepped out on that football field with one goal in mind, scoring.  I knew that if I got my hands on that football I was going to run towards the goal and no one was going to stop me, catch me or knock me down.  And that is exactly what happened.  I took advantage of an interception at the opposing team’s 1 yard line and I turned and ran a 99 yard touchdown.  Of course, our English teacher who was up in the tower calling the game happened to count that we had an extra person on the field, so my touchdown was disqualified.  Had I given it all I had?  Yes.  Did I out run everyone else?  Yes.  But did I win?  Nope.

In 1 Corinthians 9:26-27  We find Paul taking advantage of his own preaching.  He has admonished the people to remember that this Christian life is not a bystander’s event.  He tells them to run so that they may obtain the prize, but he doesn’t leave himself out either.  He takes advantage of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and says

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Paul doesn’t want to have lived his life and then lose it all in the end.  He wanted to take advantage of his life and apply the Scriptures.  He wanted to live Them.  Why?  Because there was a goal…..he knew he would stand in front of Christ one day, as WE ALL will. 

Romans 14:11-12 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

You and I don’t like to think about the judgment that is coming do we?  We don’t want to hear the announcer point out that there is an extra man on the field and we are disqualified from the points we ran so hard to earn.  But we must remind ourselves that we are in a race as Christians and everything matters.  No, we can’t be disqualified from our salvation, but we can lose rewards and we can fumble the ball and cause others to stumble if we don’t pay attention to details. 

So let’s ask ourselves a couple of questions:

1.       Are you running?  By that I mean, are you actively pursuing the will of God in your life?  Are you at church when the doors are open and do you participate in getting the Gospel out?  Or are you in the stands, sitting and watching?  Run my friend.  Get up in your Christian life and run.  Run that you may obtain.

2.       If you are running, are you being careful to keep yourself in good condition?  We can be actively serving the Lord and running, but for the wrong reasons.  Are you wanting to be seen of men?  Then you are going to be a castaway eventually because men look on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.  Are we devoting our hearts to God and taking care of the details? 

Let’s get the ball and run with it, but let’s make sure we are doing it correctly and not only running in place and getting nowhere. 

Until next time, Lord willing,

Sheri