The Eternal Prize

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 1 Corinthians 9:25

Just as the Lord Jesus used metaphors to help the people understand his teaching, so too did Paul. In this instance he used the concept of an athlete because this was something that the people of Corinth could directly relate to. Apart from the Olympic games every four years they also had the Isthmian games which were held the year before and the year after.

The Corinthians would have been well aware of the rigorous training that was involved in the ten months prior to the games. Contestants would deny their bodies what it wanted in order to obtain what it needed to win the ultimate prize. The physical prize may have been a pine wreath but with that came fame, accolades and your name on everyone’s lips.

We may not all be prize athletes, but as Christians we are all running toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). For us, the race is a contest between flesh and spirit. The flesh wants all sorts of things that are not good or beneficial, and we can become slaves to its desires. This is why discipline is so important, and why we need to exercise self-control in all things.

Fame and accolades are temporary, but the gift of God is eternal, so let your faith strengthen and sustain you as you run with purpose and conviction.

Live your life like the 100m final and don’t let up until you cross the finish line. The prize is beyond anything you can even imagine and it lasts for all eternity.