Running to Win

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!“ 1 Corinthians 9:24

Have you noticed we live in a feel good culture to the detriment of our eternal souls?

It starts young these days.  We give trophies just for participating in sports now.  Gone is the trophy for being the winner—that might make the losers feel bad.  Heaven help them if that happens.  

There is also no end to entertainment designed to distract us and help us escape reality.

We take twelve pills to keep us healthy rather than eating good food in reasonable amounts and exercising as we should.

These things produce a society of people who don’t know how to handle real struggles and challenges.  They don’t know what to do when God convicts them of real sin in their lives because everyone around them tells them they’re okay.  

But they’re not okay.  And they know it.

We pat people on the back constantly for the slightest things because we want them to feel like they’re enough.  The truth is, they’re not enough.  News flash:  none of us is enough.  

That’s. Why. We. Need. Jesus.

What if we told people the truth without softening the blow?  What if we told them they were sinners in need of a Savior?  What if we told them it’s not about their good deeds outweighing the bad?  What if we told them about repentance?  

What if we told them about a love so great—just for them—from a man named Jesus?  And, what if we told them that this Jesus lived a sinless life, died on a cross, and was raised to life again three days later just so they could find that same love with Him throughout eternity?

What if we taught the world to follow Jesus by our own example?  Do you think they would follow?

Goodnight, Runners.