Running is all about self discipline. If you slack off, you lose your training momentum. You’ll lose all your gains if don’t take your running seriously. It’s not easy. Some days you’re tired. Other days the weather stinks. Or maybe you start a run and it isn’t a good run. Your mind or body is screaming at you to quit. Progress is made in the battle of will that is taking place. If you can discipline yourself to win more of those battles than you lose you will make progress and you will finish your race.
Paul says our spiritual run is the same way. Why would we run in a way not to win? Why would we run this spiritual marathon without intending to win it? To ask is to answer. But Paul also acknowledges how long and hard this race is. There will be days you want to quit and it is in those days that self discipline is key.
Self discipline propels us to
👟 Do the right thing even when we don’t want to.
👟 Obey God even when it’s hard.
👟 Ignore our temporary situation and focus on the enteral finish line.
👟 Make our minds and body yield to our spiritual heart.
If we don’t develop self discipline, Paul warns us that we will eventually be disqualified. How can we say we’re christians and how can we say we are trying our best to run God’s race but then not exercise self control over our carnal and earthly nature? We become disqualified when we to tell others to run this race and take it seriously but do not do the same. In fact, that’s super discouraging to other runners and others may fall out of their training because of your negative example.
👟 Don’t sign up for God’s run if you don’t truly want to run it.
👟 If you sign up to run God’s run, the only way to finish it is to be self disciplined especially when the run gets hard.
👟 Don’t set a bad example for other runners and be disqualified.
Run God’s race with the intention of finishing it and encourage others to run the same way! #runningtherace
Adonai's Appeal 