Running to Win, Part 1, "The Course"
"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." - 1 Corinthians 9:24

No one in a race runs to lose. "So, run..." As a Christian, we have each been given a personal course. Our course is called a race and there is a goal before us and it is nothing else besides our Lord Jesus Christ, His Great Commission, and the rewards that will be given in Heaven if we are faithful to stay on course! Are you on course today? A plane that has fallen off the proper course is headed for a disaster, so too is the Christian. To help keep us on course the Apostle Paul offers priceless insight...

Remember the Honor
"Know ye not..." The Corinthians had forgotten many things that the Lord had already showed unto them, precious truths of the Savior's grace that were meant to drive them forth to total commitment in their race of life. "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not". (2 Corinthians 4:1) How did Paul ever endure through the hurdles that sprung up in the midst of his course? How did he get the nerve to walk back into Lystra after being stoned? Well, just imagine that you had been given the opportunity to run in a televised Olympic race, not even having to qualify. Would you not perhaps be the next champion, not because of your abilities and qualifications, but just because of the thrill of having received such an honor to be a participant? Do you feel this way about your course in serving the Lord? Are you burdened and pressed to go the second mile for your Lord, though it seems beyond your abilities? Paul heard the Lord saying, "he is a chosen vessel unto me" (Acts 9:15) and he was overwhelmed that God would even think of using his minuscule life. Never allow anything to hinder you from giving your best to this race, Paul would have ran until his legs fell off if given the opportunity! No one in a race aims for second place! "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (1 Timothy 1:15) Have you come to realize that you too are a chief-sinner called by the chief-Savior? If so, you shouldn't have a problem making Him the chief of your life! The honor involved in following Christ is exactly what compelled Peter and Andrew to drop the nets and leave everything behind (Matthew 4)! Recognizing the honor of such an opportunity will motivate you to say, "Here I am" (Genesis 22:1,7; Exodus 3:4; 1 Samuel 3:4; Isaiah 6:8).

Remember the Motivation
Our lack of motivation surely stems from a lack of appreciation for the Lord's calling upon our lives to carry His Gospel message to the ends of the world! Motivation is what causes a person to exhort 120%, to sweat blood, and to say, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." (John 4:34) The runner crawling on the floor will never win the prize. A boxer might prepare one year just for a single, one-hour match. Some athletes may train for an entire career that won't last five or ten years. What compels them to such dedication? Motivation. Even the devil is motivated. "Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." (1 Corinthians 9:25) The winners of the Olympics in Bible times would receive a wreath constructed of plants, which would lose all of its glory in just a matter of days. People lost in their sins are motivated for temporary goals and run with all their might, even though it's a fruitless effort of running around in endless circles, leading towards an ultimate, literal, dead end. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to push and propel us on to become a living sacrifice for the eternal work which Jesus has called us to! What awaits the runner who has been motivated to give his all to his course? Crowns, glory, safety, eternal joy...all these and more await! "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24) The motivation of Jesus Christ is unmovable, as nothing could stop Him from the Cross, so too should there be nothing which can hinder your motivation for the course which He has given to you. Are you on course today?