Obtain the Prize

One of the key lessons to be learned in growing spiritually is that God works all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). This can be a difficult lesson; especially when adversity seems to destroy the very things that we work hard for and strive to accomplish.

I had the opportunity to witness something special last Friday night. My daughter's school, Red Lion Christian Academy http://www.redlionca.org/ completed their football season with a 51-0 win over a local rival. An impressive win, but what I saw was much more impressive than the final score. Coming off a very difficult and painful week in which they had to forfeit an opportunity to continue their season in the playoffs, these kids and their coaches represented RLCA as true champions in their season finale.

Rather than wallowing in self-pity and lamenting what could have been, the RLCA football team chose instead to go out as winners; playing hard with dignity and class. Rather than speak poorly of those who contributed to the adversity they endured, they chose instead to enjoy the culmination of a great season and celebrate with their fans, friends and family on the field after the game. Among the post game highlights, the team gathered as one facing their fans in the stands and in unison chanted 1 Corinthians 9:24--Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Obtaining the prize involves exercising self control (v.25), not running aimlessly (v.26) and disciplining ourselves so as to not disqualify ourselves by damaging our testimony to others (v.27). God never promised us this would be easy, but he promised to never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5) and that his plans for us are to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).