1 Corinthians 9:25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things..
Having participated in track & field during my junior college days, I’ve come to realise the importance of discipline as an athlete. The drills, gym work, endurance training, boot camps, psychological conditioning were meant to keep us at the top of our game.
What was even more exhilarating was in representing my school in the annual track meet where we would face the fiercest competition at the national level.
That year, my relay team was gunning to win the gold medal, having came in first in the heats. I remember vividly that something was amiss as the first running mate exchanged the baton with the second. By the time the second mate approached me, I realised that we were a tad too late and true enough, we ended off with a silver. The first mate later apologised to the team for losing his focus on the starting blocks and getting off late; the lack of discipline resulted in a lost split second which cost the entire team its first place.
The apostle Paul admonished us to run our races in a manner that we will win. Spiritual discipline has everything to do with winning, and in our race of life towards the prize of Christ, winning is everything.
How are you running your race? What is your approach towards winning it? What are the obstacles and hindrances that stand in your way of winning?