Running together

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Published: Monday, 15 August 2016 23:10

Written by James Dean

It's been hard to avoid the sporting battles going on at the Rio 2016 Olympics the last week. Even if you wanted to, every day the newspapers, websites and social media are full of photographs and stories of winners, losers and "also-rans". In sporting terms, the Olympics represent the pinnacle of most athlete's careers. The names of the winners are sometimes unfamiliar to us. They come out of nowhere, compete, win and disappear again.

However, there are some athletes who are there for the long haul and just keep coming back. The American swimmer, Michael Phelps, has now won more Olympic medals himself than entire countries (as I write, it's 28 medals, 23 of which are gold) and is counted as the most decorated Olympian ever. Even Great Britain has seen dominance over several Olympics in events such as rowing and cycling with competitors returning and retaining titles. These have all been won with incredible individual and team effort.

What can be said about every competitor is that they all arrive with the same hope. If they're being honest, none of them are just there for the atmosphere: they want a medal.

They have not spent the last 4 years sitting around at home watching TV or eating, drinking and being merry! No, they have been training and training and training. They've given themselves completely to that goal, often at the expense of time with family and friends. They've shown incredible levels of self control, not giving in to things that, while they aren't necessarily bad for them, they don't help them get towards their target... they aim to win.

The Apostle Paul was familiar with this and had clearly seen athletes train in Roman times. He knew what it took to compete; he too knew what it was to give things up for his goals, albeit with a different goal in view. When he wrote to the Corinthians he said:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Cor 9:24-27)

In the Christian life then we are to exercise self control, not so that we will win a medal or a wreath, but that we will "win" a prize that will never rust or perish, one that cannot be stolen or sold. We persevere in the power of the Holy Spirit to the end; we don't give up; we don't give in; we press on towards eternity and win the crown of life!

So how is your "training" going? Are you making strides in your walk with God? What is distracting you? Are there things (sinful habits, wrong attitudes) that you need to throw aside because they're weighing you down? What is stopping you from living completely for Christ?

Remember that we don't run alone. That's one of the wonderful benefits of being part of a local church - God's people running together, encouraging each other, spurring one another on to love and good works. Are you making the most of our church? Are you helping to strengthen the faith of others as they strengthen yours? Let's glorify our great God as we show that love to one another.