Stay in the race till the finish ~ Jack Graham

I fear that I, having preached to others, could somehow disqualify myself and be set on the sidelines, and not finish well.

-- 1 Corinthians 9:27

In today’s verse, we find the apostle Paul reflecting on the race that God has set before him, and he makes a very personal confession.


Paul says that he fears doing something that would disqualify him from the race of his life. His great joy comes from running the race for Christ Jesus and he doesn’t want to be sidelined!


You see, sin will absolutely stop you in your race. We see this metaphor all the time in track events. A runner stumbles and falls, and it has a devastating impact on his ability to finish well.


For Paul, he could think of nothing worse than getting spiritually sidelined. Is that the great concern of your heart? It should be. Every runner must think strategically to stay in the race. The goal is not just to finish, but to finish well.


And to do that you must be focused. Don’t let your mind wander. Beware of pitfalls. Don’t let others coax you off track. And don’t let the cares of this life box you in or force you out of your lane.


Paul knew that the applause of God would outweigh the praise and acceptance of men. He remembered the prize, not the approval of others, but the joy of being received at the finish line by Christ Jesus himself!

DON’T GET SPIRITUALLY SIDELINED! RUN THE RACE OF FAITH AND FINISH WELL!