Are you fully committed to Christ?

Are you fully committed to Christ?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind."  Luke 10:27

What makes a winner?  Is it being first?  A trophy or a medal?  I believe a true winner is the person that shows courage, determination and commitment in their pursuit of a goal, not stopping until they have achieved it, and upon achieving it, giving the glory to God.   Not quite the Mirriam Webster definition but one fitting of a Christian athlete. No matter what sport you participate in, by doing it for Christ, you can be a member of "God's" team "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God"  1 Corinthians 10:31.  There are no bench warmers on this team and no second string players.  Through Christ, we all have the power and strength we need to accomplish the job He has called us to.  

Gaining this victory requires commitment.  True commitment requires a love for something large enough to justify sacrifice.  And there is no sacrifice we can offer that compares to the sacrifice of Jesus. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10.

God is looking for those who are fully committed to Him, who truly love Him.  We do our best to train our physical bodies.  We arrive early for practice and leave late.   We run in the rain, cold, heat and wind. In our drive for excellence, we can sometimes lose sight of Christ and focus on our goals, all the while ignoring our motives.  Our plans and goals will fail every time.  It's when we follow His goals and plans for us that we achieve true victory. And when we truly love Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, with hands held high, we can give Him the glory knowing with absolute certainty that victory is only achieved through Him.   And what a witness you will be to the other team!!!

Are there some things competing with your commitment to the Lord?  Vain ambition?  Selfish pride?  Hurtful habits?   Lay it all down and meet Him at the foot of the cross.  That's where the race begins.

Heavenly Father, thank you for putting us on the winning team.  We pray that we put you first in all we say and do bringing honor and glory to your name.  May we lead others to you through this Lord.    In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.

Happy Running!!!