1 Corinthians 9:24-26
Don’t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies. So now this is how I run—not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing.
There is old wisdom that challenges us to "leave it better than we found it." I think that this wisdom is in short supply these days. It seems that many people are trying to get as much as they can from someone or something, and don't think about giving much back. We try to get as much from our workplace for promotion or pay raises, but don't think as much about making our workplace better for the person who will follow us. Maybe we try to get as much from a transaction at a store, and don't think about what the store employee who is helping us is experiencing that day.
Paul, as he writes to the church in the city of Corinth, reminds us how athletes prepare for competition. First, They use self-discipline to prepare their bodies and minds. They know that going easy on training will result in losses in competition. They do more in training to make competition easier. Their bodies are better after training than when they started.
Second, the have a goal they are working towards. They know what will be better when they are done with their effort. They will win a competition! Once they win, they set a new goal, and keep on working and improving.
Paul says he fights like a boxer in the ring, not a shawdowboxer. He's not punching at air, but taking on a challenger for a prize. This illustration invites me to consider how I am working for and with Jesus. Do I set goals? Do I know what my finish line is? Maybe it is telling someone about Jesus. Maybe it is organizing an activity for people to grow in faith and action.
Am I willing to leave my church better than I found it? Am I disciplined and training my soul and spirit to win the race, and have more people connected to Jesus? Will my ministry team, organizational meetings, building and staff, volunteer group - be better when I am done than when I found it?
I think this whole discussion comes down to a question of ownership. Do I feel ownership over my faith? Am I willing to improve my church so it helps more people grow with Jesus? I own my car, so I take care of it. I own my house, so I keep it in good repair and even improve it to maintain or increase its value. When it comes to my church, am I just trying to get what I want from it, or am I investing so my church is stronger and more effective?
Paul invites us to incorporate discipline and goals into our faith journey so we grow with Jesus, and bring more people into God's grace. One way to do this is to accept ownership of our faith and our church, so we improve both with discipline, and work towards the goals God sets for us. Then we can leave the church better than when we found it. Amen.
Pastor Anna-Lisa Hunter
December 31, 2023
