We Play to Win the Game . . . .

By this time you should be teachers. But in fact, you need someone to teach you all over again. You need even the simple truths of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby. That person does not want to learn about living a godly life. Solid food is for those who are grown up. They have trained themselves with a lot of practice. They can tell the difference between good and evil.(Hebrews 5:12-14)

I know all my former athlete friends remember growing up when mom or dad would measure our height by the closet door? We would try to stand on our tip toes to get an extra 1/4 inch. We would try to predict how tall we would be? Then later on in high school and college, as we would hit the weight roomand gym, we would often measure our biceps and chest just to see how much muscle we had put on that day! Everything was measured . . . our height, weight, distance, speed, vertical jump . . . Our goal was always to get faster, better, bigger, stronger . . . So why have things changed now that we are now mature and settled as Christians? Do we not continue to engage as if to win the battle just as we did in school? Why have we become complacent? Where is our sense of competition? Yes the overall victory is won. Jesus defeated sin on the cross. However, there are still souls out on the field to be won! We cannot just sit on the bench and allow others to lose the battle. We compete until the final whistle blows! We need to be leaders in the war!

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 someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to 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)

God did not save us for us to lose our competitive edge. In fact, He wants us to increase our fervor. CRISTiands should be the most intense athletes, especially in the spiritual playing field. To quote a rather popular former NFL coach:

WE PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!