I Do Not Run Aimlessly
Do
you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the
prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in
all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable
one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I
punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself
should not be disqualified.
1 Corinthians
9:24-27
The way our lives end is the crucial
test of authentic discipleship. Only if we remain in a steadfast relationship
with the Savior can we be confident not merely of entering heaven, but of
obtaining the victor’s crown.
Paul was concerned about the
possibility of being disapproved by his Lord. He was a redeemed believer who
was serving the Lord, yet he feared that his service might prove to be wood,
hay, and straw, rather than gold, silver and precious stones.
What will be the Lord’s appraisal of
our lives? Will someone evaluating us be able to say honestly that we continued
to bear fruit in old age? Whatever vocation we pursue, with the help of the
Holy Spirit we will always have the will, knowledge, and forbearance to witness
for our Lord.
For the
ignorant, old age is as winter;
for the learned, it
is a harvest.
Our Daily
Bread –