24 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. 25 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. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 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. – 1st Corinthians 9
Tiger Woods was always my golf hero. I wish that was saying something special, but basically anyone who liked golf years 2000 to 2010 liked tiger. He was the best. Pure dominance. One thing he brought to the game of golf was a keen sense of physical awareness. Tiger always knew his limitations. These limitations drove Tiger to train his body vigorously. There are stories about Tiger training with Navy Seals. His body was the fittest and strongest of any golfer. He changed the culture of golf. Young players are constantly training their bodies now to handle the “blows” that golf offers.
Tiger’s flaw was not physical or even mental. Tiger’s flaw was moral. Tiger was unfaithful to his wife. He risked his relationship with his kids. This begs the question, how does a man who worked so hard at a sport work so little for his family? I know that marriage is difficult. I am not here to bash Tiger. I am here to point out our natural tendency to work hard for things we want but not things we need to. Look at children. Imagine how disappointed a second grader would be if they were given a weekend’s worth of homework on Friday. The work would sound terrible to that child. Regardless, the child would still need to complete their assignments. In reverse, imagine how much hard work a second grader would put in to a day at the water park. The sun would drain their energy. The lines would aggravate them. Their parents would annoy them. All of this work would be worth it though because that child would want to be there. We naturally are willing to work harder for things we want versus things we need.
This of course changes over time. That is called maturity. The fascinating thing though is that even though we all mature and realize we need to pay our mortgage, attend work, and maintain the health of our bodies most of us still struggle to work in our relationship with God. After all, Paul is using this race analogy to describe our faith journey. “Race to win” Paul says. Seems obvious. Then why is church attendance dropping rapidly across the world? Why is Europe considered the first atheistic/humanist continent? Why are ages 20-30 in the USA less than 50% likely to be a Christian? We quit racing to win.