"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV
As the temperatures at last month's London Marathon spiked to the hottest on record (73F) in the history of the race, Johanna Pakenham, 53, felt she had to stay extra-hydrated and claims to have guzzled more than a dozen bottles of water. And although drinking excess water on a hot day might sound like a great idea, it's not. Too much of it can actually flush vital sodium out of the body and lead to a life-threatening condition called hyponatremia - which is exactly what happened to Johanna. Soon after the race, she suffered a seizure and slipped into a coma for three days (she later recovered). As this story shows, no matter how thirsty a runner gets, they need to practice restraint by slowing down on the H20 and adding a sports drink with electrolytes.
Paul also knew that self-control, or restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires, was crucial to an athletes' success. In fact, he felt it was so critical that he reminded us that, "everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training." And this strict training, or rigorous and unwavering commitment to the course of action, that was paramount for the athletes he spoke of to "get a crown that will not last" is the same type of commitment that you and I must resolutely acquire and practice if we are to "get a crown that will last forever."
Billy Graham once said that, "It takes discipline and self-control to be a true follower of Jesus Christ." So may we practice using restraint daily and never neglect the "strict training” (daily Bible study and prayer) needed to do so. After all, our efforts will one day be rewarded with an imperishable crown.
Heavenly Father, thank You for your Word that reminds us that obtaining the crown that will last forever will not be easy. It will require self-discipline and an uncompromising devotion to doing what's right and saying no to those things that will lead us away from You. We ask that you give us the wisdom and strength to do that each and every day. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Run - Lecrae
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