"Running Aimlessly" 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Delivered to Smith Chapel UMC on February 15, 2009
Part One
Part Two
What I Didn't Say
Discipline--I mention in this sermon that I ran track in school. Believe it or not, I was pretty fast in those days. But I didn't like track. But I loved baseball. So I went out for track to get into good shape to play ball later in the spring.
In doing so, I discovered that I was faster than anyone else on the team. I still didn't like track all that much, but now I had a goal to shoot for that I hadn't considered before. If I worked hard, I could win a lot of races. I could earn my varsity letter, and eventually, my varsity jacket. These were things I had never considered before because my school didn't have a baseball program.
So, I disciplined myself to go to practice every day, work hard, and train for all the track meets. I wanted to run the races to the best of my ability and win the prize. And because I did that, I actually won the prize. In my senior year, I was named Track Man of the Year.
There are many in life who never realize they can win a prize, so they never seek it. There are some who know there's a prize, but they refuse to discipline themselves to contend. Others try but do so in a lackadaisical way, and in so doing, fail to be as productive as they could.
We can be productive Christians if we discipline ourselves to do so...if we keep our eye on the prize...if we follow Jesus by honing the skills and talents He gave us.
