Friday, August 15, 2008

Going For The Gold

How many of us have been watching the Olympics, and cheering for the US athletes as they go for the gold. This only comes around once every 4 years.

Sometimes, I get the impression that is how some Christians are. They only come around once in a while. Oh they may go to church on Easter Sunday, or Christmas, but then what happens to them the rest of the year? They might read something that really gets them stirred up, or hear a Christian song that gets them all emotional, but what about the rest of the time. We as Christians can not just live from emotion to emotion, or from Olympics to Olympics.

You see, the athletes have to practice day after day every day to be the best at their sport. That is the only way they will be able to compete, is by practicing to stay in shape. If they just waited until the year of the Olympics to start practicing, they probably would not be able to finish their race. They probably would not even qualify.

That is the way we as Christians should be with the word of God. We should stay in the word every day, we should go to worship at every opportunity, not just Sundays, or Easter, or Christmas. It is not that we have to practice being Christians, it is just that we should stay in the presence of the LORD, so when our trials come up against us, and they will, then we will be equipped and trained to finish our race. We will be strong enough and disciplined enough to compete. You see the devil knows the word of God better than most Christians, and he will use it to turn things around. Don't get turned around because you are waiting for the next Olympic thing to happen before you turn to the LORD and His word, and don't get disqualified like some Olympic athletes in the past because you turn to another substance to help you win your trials. No, stay in the word daily, and come to the place of worship in the LORD daily so that when the time comes, you will qualify and you will be able to take home the GOLD. AMEN!

2 Tim 4 v 7-8....I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing....

1 Cor. 9 v 26-27.....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....

Prov. 23 v 7a.....For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he......

We must discipline our bodies, we must strengthen our hearts to be hearts for God and His will, we must qualify, so that we can finish our race, so that one day we will win the GOLD, the gold being those words from Christ Himself, telling us "well done, good and faithful servant." Let us not just compete for ourselves but let us bring our team members (family, friends, co-workers) with us to the gold.
Neta

No comments: