Run To Win

I Corinthians 9:24

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

I don’t know how to just do something just to be doing it. I have a competitive edge that won’t rest. It can be a good thing like when you are trying to be successful in business/ministry, or it can be bad like when my six year old wants to play me in Tic TAC Toe and it’s hard for me to let him win. That’s bad.

There are some people who go through life not caring whether they win or lose. Like the proverbial girl on your Jr. High kick ball team whose laughing while the other team is winning, there are people in life who sit back and laugh at what other people take seriously. How can you stand there laughing when we are losing? Losing our economic footing, losing the war on crime, losing our children to a corrupt world, losing our spiritual foundation, there is so much to be fighting for but many of us are not running to win. There are important things in life that we should be trying to win like:

1. Raising our children. Train up a child in the way they should go when they get older they will not depart from it.

2. Having a good marriage. For this reason a man should leave his mother and father and the two shall become one flesh.

3. Leaving a Legacy. A righteous man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.

4. Helping other people. When you do unto the least of these you also do unto me. (Jesus)

5. Spreading the gospel. Go therefore into the entire world teaching them everything that I have taught you. (Jesus)

6. Living Holy. I am Holy therefore you ought to be Holy (God.)

7. Making it to heaven. Well done my good and faithful servant, you’ve been faithful over a few things now come on up and I‘ll make you ruler over many. (God hopefully one day).

Paul says we should run in such a way as to win. How you run all depends on what event you are running. When I ran long distance in high school, I took off too fast and got winded before I finished. In life you should know that the race is not given to the swift nor the strong, but to those who endure to the end.

When I ran the 440 intermediate hurdles, I did good jumping, but I didn’t breathe right while running and my legs gave out. The bible says, let everything that have breath praise the Lord. We got to make sure we breathe right. His praise shall continuously be on my lips.

I remember watching the Olympics last year in BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States dropped the baton in the men's 4x100m relay on Thursday evening at the Beijing Olympic Games and was disqualified for the finals.

Trinidad & Tobago won the first round of the relay competition in 38.26 seconds, followed by Japan and the Netherlands. Four of the eight teams in the heat lost their batons on the wet track that was bathing in drizzle.

Tyson Gay, the best sprinter of the United States, became the biggest loser after the team failure. He was earlier disqualified for the men's 100m sprint finals and lost his chance to line up with world record holder Usain Bolt to compete for the fastest man title in the Olympics.

Gay said, "I dropped it. I tried to reach for it, but it wasn't there. I should have made sure; I guess it was my fault."

He blamed himself, "I'm a veteran. I've never dropped a stick in my life. I felt it right near the thumb area. When I went to grab, nothing. Sometimes it takes an extra second."

Tyson is human just like us; we’ve all dropped the baton when it really mattered. It hurts to drop the baton especially after you’ve done all that training, have all those gifts, get that far and drop the baton. Yet we all do it.

Paul said, I discipline myself so that after preaching to others I will not be disqualified myself. What does it profit us to be successful in business but drop the baton with our children? What does it profit us to impress thousands with our gifts, but drop the baton with our spouse and get a divorce? What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and mess around and lose….his soul?

Lord, I’m running trying to make 100 and 99 and a half won’t do….Dear God, help me to remain focused on what is important and to finish the race strong. I want to be able to make it home and hear you say, well done.

In Jesus Name.
Amen.