“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 boxing the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

-Apostle Paul, 1 Cor 9:24-27.

It’s not just about the race you run which everyone sees in the arena. It’s about the discipline you apply to your lifestyle on your own. Self-control for an athlete could mean abstaining from unhealthy food or from being complacent with exercise. Likewise, self-control for Christians is similar: to stay away from things that do not edify your spirit. Instead to allow your spirit to hunger only for the fruits of God’s Spirit. Then discipline yourself to exercise them: Love, Patience, Generosity, Forgiveness, Humility, etc.

It is the discipline of the athlete’s whole lifestyle that determines his performance on the racetracks and ultimately the result of the race.

The Imperishable Prize: Eternity with God. Bringing heaven to earth. True LIFE in Jesus and to influence the same for those around us.

“So run that you may obtain it…”