And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 2 Timothy 2:5-7
Just recently I saw a Church is adding Thursday evening services to accommodate parents who have children involved with sports on the weekend. This is obviously a controversial issue, however the point I bring up is sports is a heavily involved activity. Nobody can really say “I’m going to dabble in sports” , probably because they wouldn’t be very good. It would also demonstrate they dont have any dedication or love for their team also. Athletes who are successful, typically train all year round, continue to work with their teammates to improve chemistry and readiness. So why am I rambling on about sports?
Well the Apostle Paul says this “if anyone competes in athletics , he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules”. Previously the Apostle Paul compared our calling in Christ to being a Soldier of Christ in The Lord’s Army. Today Paul is comparing our calling in Christ to being a successful athlete. So lets dive into what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us with this analogy.
Again as I said previously, a successful athlete will train continually, will spend alot of time practicing and preparing for the big game. They will spend alot of time with their coaches , taking advice and getting mentored. Their coaches will analyze the players’ performances and advise ways they can continue to improve to get better. This should reflect our calling with Jesus!
We shouldn’t take our calling as a Christian as casual or just something to do on the weekends, this is a higher calling that we are continually trying to improve upon to gain our crown of glory. Now I can hear the lukewarm people, “this is legalism” , no this is the Word of God here by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. “He is not crowned unless he competes”
The Apostle Paul also compares our calling to a farmer, who is continually working on the fields expecting a harvest crop to come, this again should reflect our calling as Christians. We should be continually working the fields (evangelism) planting seeds (the Word of God) and waiting for a harvest to come (new converts) Of course the Holy Spirit transforms people, but we need to labor for Christ, we are called to be the salt and light (Matthew 5) as the body of Christ. A farmer who is lazy will produce no crops and no harvest, if we want to see God working in our ministry, we must work for God!
I understand these are spiritual applications, but as the Apostle Paul says here “The Lord will give you understanding of these things” Don’t take your calling in Christ lightly, consider the cost, run the race, plant the spiritual seeds of the Kingdom, Amen!
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