Running to Win, Part 5, "The Cheaters"
2 Timothy 2:5, "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully."

God's work must be done God's way! Many people have finished a race only to hear the surprising words, "I saw you cheating!" How often have we heard of a person having received a reward, yet later having to return it because the truth was discovered that they had cheated. A woman was once baffled as to why her husband would always wear sunglasses while at Church; the husband insisted that it helped him to focus more clearly on the sermon as it was being preached. When she asked him during a Church service to remove his sunglasses for a moment she got no reply. She then decided to slip off his sunglasses only to find that his eyes were shut! A teacher once returned a test paper to a student. On it was written, "100%!!! GOOD JOB... of hiding your cheat sheet under the sleeves of your shirt! I saw you! No credit." Remember that the Judge of the race has the high responsibility of ensuring a "clean race", with no one running through shortcuts. Truly God is looking closer at us than we have ever imagined! And if we attempt to do anything for Him in a half-hearted manner, trying to finish our race by going through shortcuts, we will be blown to pieces when we see that all our hard work will have been wasted, resulting in no reward! The first-place runner who is caught using steroids won't receive anything, not even a bronze medal. It's a priviledge indeed to "strive for masteries", but there will be no rewards "except he strive lawfully"!

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:27, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Paul was not worried about being a castaway from God's salvation, but from the position that God had entrusted to him while serving here on earth. Paul knew that if he was not faithful in his service to the Lord here on earth that he would not receive the full reward in Heaven (2 John 8)! At the Judgement Seat of Christ the crowns will be distributed, "yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully". Therefore Paul took no shortcuts. He paid the price and marched on to the 2nd mile! Cheating is for the lazy, those not willing to put forth true effort! Striving for masteries requires the mindset of a master who takes no shortcuts in his work. Make sure that you won't be labeled a cheater at the end of your race!