Like An Athlete….
Metaphors are very useful literary tools that assist us in expressing ourselves and effectively communicating our desired message. When I heard someone say, “she is stronger than a lion”, communicates the concept of great strength. “He is as confident and consistent as a piece of trash driven by the wind on the beach”. Here, the metaphor is describing instability, a person who lacks roots, and changes their mind to go with whomever is there. A people pleaser. A more complimentary metaphor would be, “she is like a breath of fresh air on a clear day after a gentle rain”. You get the picture of clarity, newness, someone who brings a fresh and challenging perspective, someone you want to be around.
The apostle Paul uses metaphors to describe the diligent Christ follower. Last week I wrote of being like a “good soldier”, this week it’s the apostle’s metaphor of being like an athlete.
Paul writes, “Be like an athlete who is competing for a crown”. (2 Timothy 2:5). He uses the same metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. “Run in such a way as to win 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 aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I train my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
The Christian life, is indeed similar to being an athlete. Our goal is much loftier than receiving a temporary wilting crown from a race official. Our prize for which we train and live our life is to receive an everlasting crown, an affirmation from the God of the universe himself. We live for him, pursuing his values and doing his stated will in gratitude for the life he provides us all, and in thankfulness for the forgiveness of sin that he himself has provided. The crown which will be given us is the one God himself has provided, one that he has set aside for all Christ followers. It is a crown of righteousness that does not wilt, will not fade, and cannot be stolen.
So it is the Christian lives her/his life like an athlete, grateful for the privilege to run the race for his/her King. We participate in life as a citizen of a heavenly kingdom. While on the course of life we compete with the values, ideas, perspective, that are entrusted to us by our King and Lord. We know whose representative we are. We sing as we compete, “this world is not my home I’m just passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.”
Like a good athlete, we seek to gain proper control of our thoughts and attitudes, our habits and behaviors. We make our efforts here count for time and eternity. We train according to our coach’s instructions. He has given us our training manual and clear explanations for how to properly and effectively compete. It’s all clearly laid out in the Bible. We run with confidence the course he has laid out for us. We eagerly compete because we love to follow him who has already run the race and has guaranteed a crown of eternal life that he waits to present to us. Again we sing as we run this race, “not to the strong is the battle; not to the swift is the race, but to the faithful, victory is promised through grace”. You are invited, “come race with me, join our team”.
Thanks for listening.