The Ultimate Race

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain.”  I Corinthians 9:24

The people of Corinth, Greece, as well as all Greeks, were very fond of their competitive games.  (It was in Greece over 2,700 years ago where the Olympics originated to celebrate the mythical god Zeus.)  Running was one of the most popular competitions.  In those days, there was not a big variety of entertainment like we have today, so the games were extremely popular.  People for the most part are highly competitive by nature.  In a race, there may be many contestants, but only one will win first place and take the trophy home.  It is still that way today except for those who do not want to offend anyone so they give everyone a trophy.  Imagine if those in charge of the Academy Awards decided to give all actors an Oscar.  I can just hear those actors who think socialism is so great, but also think they alone deserve the prize, crying out, “That’s not fair.”  Paul’s purpose in using this analogy was to encourage the believers to give God their all in serving Him and serving others.  Like the runner in the race, run to win.  Don’t get distracted  Don’t give up.  Keep your focus on the goal.  Don’t measure yourself by what others are doing.  Christian growth will not happen unless the believer makes a whole-hearted effort to obey and honor the Lord.  Christlikeness doesn’t happen by sitting on the sidelines watching others mature in the faith in their endeavor to serve Christ.

Paul wrote that everyone who has a real desire to win the race prepares himself ahead of time.  Certain protocols must be followed in order that the body and the mind are conditioned to endure the hardships and overcome the obstacles that are inevitable in any endeavor.  Athletes in training are careful about the foods that they eat, the amount of sleep that they get, and put in hours and hours in practice if they want to develop their skills.  All this they do just to win a prize, a trophy, a ring, or accolades from others.  All of these rewards are temporary.  The trophy eventually gets put away in a closet or attic (I finally threw my bowling trophy away that I received over 40 years ago!)  The Superbowl ring becomes too tight on a finger because the player no longer has the body of an athlete, and the praises and accolades will fade away.  The big win becomes just a distant memory that no longer has very much significance.

However, the prize for the believer who runs the race of the Christian life is an eternal reward which, as the Apostle Peter described, “an inheritance incorruptible,, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:4).  We do not work to earn this reward.  We work and deny ourselves because we want to please the Master.  We want to show our love and appreciation for His love and care for us.  A simple example would be like a small child who desires for his or her parents to be proud of some feat that he or she has accomplished, you know, “Hey Mom, Dad, watch me!”  (That reminds me of the joke about the famous last words of the redneck:  “Hey, watch this!”)  Generally speaking, I don’t think a child ever outgrows the need to make his or her parents proud of him or her.

To illustrate the necessity to be on guard at all times while running this race, ready to engage the enemy of the soul, Paul compares his efforts to those of the effort in the secular world also using the example of athletes.  To train, a boxer will “shadow box”, that is, practice his punches, jabs, and upper cuts against the air as if his opponent were before him.  This may help him hone his skills as a boxer, but it does nothing to defeat a physical challenger at that time because his opponent is not standing before him.  Not so in a believer’s battle, for his or her enemy is constantly opposing, challenging, or attempting to undermine the beliefs, behavior, and witness of all those who name the name of Christ.  Thus, it behooves the believer to “be on his or her toes”, like the boxer’s shuffle, at all times, alert and watching for the enemy’s attack.  This was Paul’s admonition to the believers in Corinth and to all Christians: know for sure that the enemy never tires of hassling, provoking, challenging, and tempting believers to disobey Christ and bring a reproach upon the Son of God.  Don’t give the devil any satisfaction.