November 4, 2022 8:00 pm
The careers of most National Football League players are remarkably brief: just 3.3 years on average, according to statista.com. Then there’s Tampa Bay Buccaneer and former New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady. In 2021, he began his twenty-second season at the age of forty-four. How? Perhaps his famously rigorous diet and exercise routine have enabled him to maintain his competitive edge. Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings have earned him the title of G.O.A.T.—greatest of all time in the NFL. But it’s a title he never could have achieved apart from letting his single-minded pursuit of football perfection shape everything in his life.
The apostle Paul recognized athletes exhibiting similar discipline in his day (1 Corinthians 9:24). But he also saw that no matter how much they trained, ultimately their glory faded. In contrast, he said, we have an opportunity to live for Jesus in a way that affects eternity. If athletes striving for momentary glory can work so hard at it, Paul implies, how much more should those living for “a crown that will last forever” (v. 25).
We don’t train to earn salvation. Rather, just the opposite: As we realize how truly wondrous our salvation is, it reshapes our priorities, our perspective and the very things we live for as each of us faithfully runs our own race of faith in God’s strength.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled running the race was written by Adam Holt. The careers of most national football league players are remarkably brief, just 3.3 years on average according to statistic.com. Then there's NFL quarterback Tom Brady. In 2021, he began his 22nd season at the age of 44.
How? Perhaps his famously rigorous diet and exercise routine have enabled him to maintain his competitive edge. Brady's seven Super Bowl rings have earned him the title of goat, greatest of all time in the NFL. But it's a title he never could have achieved apart from letting his single-minded pursuit of football perfection shape everything in his life. The Apostle Paul recognized athletes exhibiting similar discipline in his day, but he also saw that no matter how much they trained, ultimately their glory faded. In contrast, he said, we have an opportunity to live for Jesus in a way that affects eternity. If athletes striving for momentary glory can work so hard at it, Paul implies, how much more should those living for a crown that will last forever? We don't train to earn salvation, rather just the opposite. As we realize how truly wondrous our salvation is, it reshapes our priorities, our perspective, and the very things we live for as each of us faithfully runs our own race of faith in God's strength.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 9, verses 24 through 27. 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. Let's pray. Father, help us to grow in discipline as a response to your love and not as an attempt to earn something you've already given us. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Whisper: small.en / 2022-11-08 16:01:33 / 2022-11-08 16:02:25 / 1
