“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” (I Cor 9:24-25 KJV)
Take out discipline from an athlete’s life and he becomes, as it were, a “toothless tiger”. By the same yardstick, take out spiritual discipline from a Christian’s life, and he becomes a Popeye without a dose of spinach, falling flat at the feet of an adversary (Eph 6:12), much stronger than Bluto.
In the above verses, Apostle Paul alludes to the athletic events in the games which were celebrated every fifth year on the isthmus, or narrow neck of land, which joins the Peloponnesus, or Morea, to the main land; and were thence termed the Isthmian Games. The events were running, wrestling, boxing, throwing the discus or quoits, to the three first of these the apostle especially eludes, the truth thereof, would not elude any wise child of God.
What, then, is strict Christian spiritual discipline? Simply put, it would mean prioritizing life activities in a manner which would not LEAVE OUT at any time any of the following:
a) Worship -personal (which includes Bible reading) and family prayer time,
b) Church fellowship (partaking in week day activities of the Church besides Sunday Worship) and
c) Courtship- courting souls for the Lord (read personal evangelism)
Yes, in a competitive World on the run, there is no denying the fact that to be spiritually shipshape, constantly exercising yourself with Worship, fellowship and courtship activities, is TOUGH. That is why DISCIPLINE is required in these matters. It follows as day follows night that those faring excellently on Worship would fare well on the other two as well. For everything stands and falls on Worship, which is an extension of the love we have for the Lord. Here is a poetic rendition of an athlete’s discipline required to bag the Prize.
“A youth who hopes the Olympic prize to gain, All arts must try, and every toil sustain; Th’ extremes of heat and cold must often prove; And shun the weakening joys of wine and love.”
The crown won by the victor in the Olympian games was made of the wild olive; in the Pythian games of laurel; in the Nemean games of parsley; and in the Isthmian games of the pine. These were all corruptible, for they began to wither as soon as they were separated from the trees, or plucked out of the earth. In stark contrast to these, for ALL CHRISTIANS exercising spiritual discipline, the INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN would be given.
While in the Isthmian games, only one received the prize, though all ran; in the race of Christian life, the good news with a “Capital G” is ALL WHO EXERCISE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE WOULD INHERIT THE INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN. Pray tell me mate, how is your prayer life and also how are you faring on “fellowship” and “Courtship” fronts?
Please join us next Tuesday for THE CROWNING GLORY, Part 3: The Crown of Rejoicing
Suresh Manoharan
http://www.jandsmministries.com
Suresh Manoharan
(To access the entire “The Crowning Glory” mini-series, please click here.)