Tuesday September 23rd, 2014
1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who
run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you
may obtain it.”
With
this, it’s not necessarily a competition, but it’s a matter of running full-heartedly,
with all you’ve got. Being human, we tend to do things for others in order to
obtain something in return, that’s our motivation. At least I know that is mine
from time to time. It’s like saying, ‘here do this for me and I’ll give you 20
bucks’ or something and my answer is, ‘okay, since you are giving me 20 bucks.’
Now, this is definitely selfish and something we’ve touched on in these
previous weeks, but what I see in this verse is endurance…pressing on. What
grace it is that God, who created me, who loves me, who doesn’t need me, yet
chooses to use me, still can give me a crown for the works I do for Him on
earth. With that, I can’t be doing His works with only that as my motivation. I
don’t deserve anything in return, it’s by the grace of God, like I said, that
He gives me something. I should want to do His works solely to show others the
gospel and to put a smile on His face and because I have that desire in my
heart. He wishes everyone to know Him, it’s my job to be willing to let Him use
me so others can hear that good news.
This
verse always makes me think of an Olympic athlete. I already mentioned an
Olympic athlete in previous IBS’s, but it’s a good point. They run, and I mean
RUN (not literally, well in some cases…haha) with all they have to get that
gold medal. I would say even the NFL and such, those football players play hard
throughout the season, so that they may go to the Superbowl, and eventually win
and receive that trophy. That is exactly how I need to be. I’m either all in or
I’m all out, there is absolutely no in between with running the race of the
Lord. Before coming here, I was lukewarm, not fully seeking what the Lord had
for me and because of that He vomited me out of His mouth as Revelation 3:16
says, “So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit
you out of My mouth.” But I praise the Lord for that, because upon coming here
He has broken me and is now reshaping me into a much stronger women in Him. God
showed me that my relationship with Him before was slim, but now I know how
much I need to do to be 100% in.
Application:
The only application I can think of with this is to pray DAILY, for strength
and a heart that will be full in for the things the Lord has for me.
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