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Running the Curve
In ‘94 I met the man in the hat. He wore many accomplishments and was a hero to me. At the tender age of twenty, my champion had gone to war piloting a B-17 on thirty bombing missions over Europe. He was a native Texan, and most significantly at the time when I met him, he had coached the Dallas Cowboys for twenty-nine seasons.
Tom Landry was the guest speaker at our business conference. He was quiet, meek, and uncomfortable with the attention he drew. It was as if he tried not to be noticed, but that was not to be. As he gathered himself at the podium preparing to speak, the room became abnormally silent, anticipating his words.
In a change of demeanor, he suddenly grew bold, confident, and spoke passionately these words…without notes… from memory…from his heart: “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
The apostle Paul used the endeavor of an athlete in his letter to the Corinthians, an image that held strong meaning to them, so that he might draw a vivid comparison between the life of a Christian and the test faced by an athlete. Corinth was the site of the Isthmian games, similar to the Olympics, where athletes endured ten months training. Any who failed to complete training were forbidden to enter the competition, disqualified. The main event was the endurance race, the metaphor Paul used to illustrate our pursuit of heaven. The race for our crown is not a sprint; it’s an endurance race….a marathon!
In my limited history as a distance runner, on occasion I foolishly tried keep up with the fastest competitors only to burnout, fade at the end of the race. It seems to be our nature, to be enthusiastic at the beginning of a task but wanting to quit when it takes too long or becomes hard. It is much like the challenge each new Christian must face. Even now, do you ever get discouraged, letting it affect your race for the crown? We all must face life’s challenges with calm endurance, grasping the strength which God gives! As my hero Tom Landry told us that night long ago, “a winner never stops trying.” We must never quit the race!
So how do we “run in such a way that you may obtain it,” as Paul speaks to the Corinthians???
The images of a runner and a boxer show us the way. Each must prepare for their contest and follow the rules. Both must strive valiantly for the prize.
“Strict training” - The Christian must exercise self-control (restraint) in order to complete the proper training. In the Roman letter we are told to make our lives as “living sacrifices.” Mental preparation is required. Timothy was told, “study to show thyself approved.” This involves everything from daily bible reading to in-depth study of scriptures. The key to a successful life as a Christian is developing good character: “giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-8. Our beloved brother, John Clark, called these character traits “Seven for Heaven.”
Follow the Rules - We must stay within the limits which God has set for us. Simply put, we are required to obey Him, for it is the word of Christ that will judge us on the last day (John 12:48). You and I are saved by God’s grace and mercy, but the gift of His grace brings responsibilities: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,” Titus 2: 11-13. We know of athletes who say “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” How foolish! We aren’t allowed to make our own rules. Without abiding in the teachings of Christ, we do not have God (2 John 9)!!!
Our contest is not governed by the world’s rules…..rather by God’s Rules!!! We should not be surprised that God’s wisdom does not fit man’s rules, for “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.” Eccl 9:11. So it’s not our muscles, or our speed, or our smarts that will spell victory for our soul. And aren’t we glad! For God is a merciful God. He confounds man’s wisdom by exalting the “meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” And aren’t we glad!!! Here’s the point: if our salvation was a result of our keeping the law, then we would be lost…losers in a competition that we could not win. Rather our righteousness is through an active faith in Christ. It is God’s righteousness that comes through Christ and not our own (Phil 3:9-11).
Eyes on the Prize - What’s the goal???? Heaven is the goal, the finish line. When we take our eyes off of heaven, we lose focus and stray. “For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” 2 Pet 1:9. The value of the prize can best be seen in the words of Jesus, “for what does a man profit if he gain the whole world and lose his soul.” The prize is when the Lord says to you and me, “well done, thou good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of the Lord.” Matthew 25:21. When Jesus departed from his disciples, he told them, "“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." John 14:1-3. So what’s the prize??? …“ that where I am, there ye may be also." - THAT’S THE PRIZE!!!
I used to run track as schoolboy on the 440 relay. I had to watch for many things: a clean handoff from the runner behind me, winning my leg of the race, and safely passing the baton onto my teammate ahead. Oh, and I had to stay in my lane. If you’ve ever run track, you know about “the curve.” The distance around the track is 440 yards, but it’s not in a straight line. There are two big turns at both end zones. My run began on a straight course but ended on the curve. At the end of my leg of the race, fatigue or an inattentive moment made it was easy to lose focus and stray, swing too wide, getting outside the lines of the lane and be disqualified. Even now at times it seems like I’m still running that curve. I regularly have to check myself, steer back to the middle of my lane…back to better living the life of a Christian and placing God first.
Our race is long, difficult, and has many curves; stay the course and win a crown that lasts forever. If you’re feeling that it’s easy being a Christian…check yourself. You may be out of your lane!
Danny Pickett
