Day 3: The Finishing Line
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1 Corinthians 9:24
Life is a marathon. It is rough and long and requires patience and dedication. Before running a marathon, an athlete needs to prepare and train for several months if they mean to finish it. Their training becomes a part of their lifestyle, and everything they do, from nutrition, to exercise and mental wellbeing, is geared towards the race they are about to run. We should use Paul’s analogy above to apply it to our own lives: if we want to “win”, we need to prepare for the race before us, and once we participate, we have to have the goal in mind. Run to win. If you aim for the top, you will do your best.
The Bible is not ambiguous when it comes to the hardships of life, especially for those who want better for themselves secularly, or for those who choose to follow God.
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Matthew 7:13&14 (Note, “strait” means hard/difficult/rough)
They say that nothing good in life comes easy, and even for the most privileged people, at some point they have had to deny themselves and make some sacrifices, no matter how relatively small it seems compared to others. This doesn’t mean that we have to be cutthroat and abandon our integrity to get what we want, it just means we need to put the work in to do it. Oftentimes we don’t like hearing this, because in our world of instant gratification, we are led to believe that quickly going viral, getting into an MLM scheme, or cutting a corner here or there will inevitably lead to wealth, financial freedom, a serious relationship, a house, or some spiritual reward from God. What we need is for our hearts to be changed, to prepare ourselves spiritually and mentally to run the difficult race before us.