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. 1 Corinthians 9, 24

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a runner

14th October

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4, 13

Like athletes

If we wish to be "spiritually" fit and to stay fit we should listen to the apostle Paul who compares the Christian with an athlete who commits himself to:
- have a balanced life in everything in order to be fit at the moment of competition; in other words, abstain from everything which could hinder his spiritual development.
training - develop our relationship with God by prayer and reading of the Bible like the young Greeks who did physical training every morning (1 Timothy 4, 8).
- run as if it would be the only possibility to win the prize, consequently use all our energy to win the victory.
- forget things which are behind, our defeats which could discourage us and our victories which could make us conceited, so that we can concentrate on the goal which God wants us to achieve.
- respect the game rules. If we do not respect these rules then we are disqualified and we will loose our reward; we should handle according to dependance on the Lord and not according to our ideas.

What strengthened Paul's will to continue his race in spite of sufferings, difficulties and everything which could incite him to let his arms fall down? - It was the Lord himself who answered the needs of his servant day after day.

If we wish to be strengthened like Paul was then we need to live in the same communion with the Lord and the same dependance of the Lord as Paul.

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