"I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:27
Can you imagine the dedication, hard work and sacrifice it takes to be an Olympic athlete? The days, weeks and years of training a person must complete for the honor and privilege of running on an Olympic field in front of thousands of people? Wilhem Belocian, from France, did. He had done all that and was waiting to race the 110-meter hurdles when the unthinkable happened. He bolted out of the block a split second before his competitors in his heat Monday night and was disqualified. Just like that his dreams of Olympic glory were gone. The one and done rule about false starts was played out on live television as the defeated runner collapsed to the ground in agony.
Wow. Putting in all that hard work only to be disqualified must have been his worst fear come true. The apostle Paul shared that same fear when he wrote, "I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." He didn't mean that he could lose his salvation but that he could lose the privilege of teaching and telling others about Christ if he, himself, did not follow the rules or the principles he was teaching. He knew, just like that, he could become ineligible to do the very thing he trained so hard to do if he wasn't careful.
As the story shows, even the most trained of athletes can slip up and make a mistake worthy of disqualification. Paul knew it and he knew the same was true of each one of us in our walk with Christ. So may we heed Paul's warning and stay focused on the goal, adhering to the commandments laid out in the Word that we, too, might not be disqualified.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word that tells us what the rules are. Help us to discipline ourselves to learn and follow the teachings you have laid out that we might be able to share the Gospel with others. Help us to be ever vigilant and cautious of the way we act that we might not get disqualified for not practicing what we preach. It's in your precious name, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Running - Hillside
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