Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

July 16, 2012

Greetings, dear people.

Our jog/walk, discussion over the devotional, breakfast, and review of plans for the day are over with. We even talked some of long-range plans regarding the fast-diminishing size of our time left in this world. Now the work begins. But figuring out where to begin is still a difficulty.

A guy called yesterday morning in response to me posting my old dory boat for sale on Craigslist. He came about 1pm yesterday afternoon, checked out the boat, made an offer, I reluctantly accepted, and it’s gone. Maybe I’ll attach a photo I used in the ad…Andy holding an Albacore tuna. Kinda makes me hungry.

Blessings on your day.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Presently, the London Summer Olympics is generating world-wide attention—another chance to behold a display of maximized human discipline pressing the physical limits of human strength, training, and endurance. I would have to rate gymnastics as one of my favorite events (even though I can’t even do a hand stand any more) because I judge that it comes about the closest to epitomizing the skillful mastery of one’s body. I’m also reflecting on the times we lived in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu where the World Cup soccer tournament was a very big deal. It actually caused many government offices and local businesses to be weakened due to the volume of workers taking time off (whether approved or not) to watch the coverage of the games via satellite television. All this is an example of how obsessed the world can become with athletic competition. It must have been the same in Paul’s day—less the satellite technology, of course. So he gives a very meaningful illustration when he likens the victorious Christian life to athletic excellence.

Without attempting a lot of commentary, I think I will just quote here the last paragraph of this chapter.

“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 a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

I would only request that you join me in asking a couple simple questions arising from this paragraph. I hope you will recognize that they are pertinent questions relative to effective discipleship. (1) To what degree am I engaged in strict training? (2) To what degree do I rule my body? (—or does my body, along with my feelings, rule me?)

“…only one gets the prize.” Consistent with Paul’s illustration, I think it’s valid to say that ONLY ONE KIND OF PERSON SUCCEEDS AT ATTAINING THE ETERNAL BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN—DISCIPLES. And disciples in the application made here are disciplined people with A HEART AFTER GOD.