I Corinthians 9:26,27

I Corinthians 9:26,27 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. Paul once again is using the picture of an athlete who is in training to explain the Christian life. The athlete doesn’t just run around to be running around; he practices running the distance that the race is going to be run. He gives his best and runs with everything that he has. And if he is a boxer, he doesn’t waste his time swinging at the air; he wants every blow to hit his opponent. So what does he do? He gets up early in the day to train. He sweats and uses up all of his energy to train. Then he eats properly to keep his body in tip top shape. The athlete trains so that the coach will use him. After all, what good are you if you are sitting on the bench? If you have trained and are prepared, the coach will call you up and send you in to run or to fight or to do whatever you have been training for. So do you want to sit on the bench? That is what being a castaway means. Or do you want to be prepared and to be called into the race? Work hard; pray hard; read your Bible and know it; and God will use you in this race of life!