1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)
24 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.
25 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.
26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 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.”
Here’s an exercise for doing a spiritual inventory. Take some time to walk yourself through these verses. As a help I offer you the following questions to bring to the Lord for his input.
1) What is it for me to “run in such a way as to get the prize” What would that look like? What does it entail?
2) What specifically is the “strict training” that I need to engage in right now? What must I consistently avoid? What must I ruthlessly train myself to master?
3) What am I presently doing that is rather aimless and a waste of time? that in some sense is “like a boxer beating the air”?
4) What would it mean for me to “strike a blow to my body and make it my slave”? At what point am I allowing my physical appetites to call the shots instead of enslaving them? am I routinely putting them in their place with a decisive “no!”
5) Am I allowing myself to do anything or letting thoughts linger in my mind that — truth be told —contradict the tribute to God that I want my life to be?
