The Pan American Games is a major sporting event which is held every four years. This
year Toronto is hosting over 5000 athletes from July 20th to 26th. They will be competing
in 36 sports with nearly 400 events. These determined athletes have sacrificially devoted
time, effort and finances in preparation for these games. Their lives were put on hold as
they gave their all in the pursuit of excellence and ultimately GOLD.
How would you view an athlete who took to the race track, only to be out of breath and
limping within the first few minutes? Their performance shows without a doubt that there
was little to no preparation for the race. They put no effort into the training required to
even run the race, let alone compete for the gold.
I'm afraid that as Christians, there are many times that we attempt to run the race that
is before us without any training or preparation. We might start strong, but soon the
hardships of the race take their toll on us, and we stumble and fall.
1 Corinthians 9:24 & 25 "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but
one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth
for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible
crown; but we an incorruptible."
An athlete goes through months of intense training, they become "temperate" in their
living. The definition for temperate is, "moderate, abstemious, not extreme." They
become disciplined in their lifestyle. Tempered steel is steel which goes through a
controlled heating process. The end result of this environment is increased strength.
A temperate soul is an individual that has increased spiritual strength due to the heating
process of trials and tribulations which they have endured. Trials increase our faith, our
patience...in fact, the whole list of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22 & 23 "But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.") increases with our dependency
and submission to the Lord. We thus become "temperate in all things," ready for the
race.
Don't throw aside your training today because you find it too tough. We have a goal, a
prize that we are striving for, don't quit when you have come so far. Stay close to God
through prayer and His precious Word. Keep striving for excellence in the race which
is set before you.
Philippians 3:13 & 14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but
this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth
unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
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