Pensamiento piadoso para hoy
(devotional thought for today)
Get the prize
My kids Mark and Lisa are involved in high school competition rowing called "crew". This sport requires stamina and coordination. My kids have played in all the various sports: baseball, basketball, soccer, and Mark played football, but they tell me that crew is the most demanding. I can see with my own eyes that in the few weeks that they have been involved in crew they are becoming lean, mean, rowing machines (albeit live ones). One of the important factors in crew is coordination. Each member of the team must work in harmony and synchronization with the others. If one crew member does not row in time with the other members their efforts will be hampered and slow them down. Strength alone will not win the day. Strength plus synchronization is the winning combination. The crew team must stay in time and in rhythm to achieve a good pace and hopefully win the race. The Bible often refers to the Christian life as a race. In Paul's first letter to the Christians in Corinth Paul says:Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 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. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize! (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).1If a Christian is exhorted to "get the prize" should churches be exhorted to try to outdo one another? Paul told the Corinthians about the sacrificial giving of the Macedonians and he boasted about the giving of the Corinthians to the Macedonians (see 2 Corinthians 8-9). Luke describes the Bereans as being more noble-minded than the Thessalonicans because the Bereans were more diligent to study the Scriptures. We see also a sort of comparison between churches when Paul reminded the Christians at Philippi that during one point in his ministry they alone of the all the churches contributed to his needs (see Philippians 4:14-19). The Thessalonians too were used as an example to other churches being singled out by special mention to the other churches for their faithfulness (see 1 Thessalonians 1:6-9). If kept in proper perspective competition can be a very positive motivation. Whether we like it or not every church has a reputation in its community. We have an obligation to the Lord not only to keep the reputation of our churches untarnished but to be known and recognized as being pro-active and a force for good. How will the people in our communities describe us? Will they say, "That church is one of the friendliest churches in town." Or maybe they'll say, "That church is one of the most caring churches in town. When I needed help they came and helped." Most important however is how the Lord will describe us. Above all else we should want to hear the Lord say, "You are one of the most faithful churches in town. I commend you for your dedication and faithfulness." May God help our church "run in such a way as to get the prize". Cheering you on in the race, Pastor Steve March 23, 2007
Footnotes 1 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NIV (New International Version). Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® . NIV® . Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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