RUN IN SUCH A WAY AS TO GET THE PRIZE

How many of you have ever competed in a race? For most of us, I bet the answer is, “I have, but it was when I was younger.” I don’t think I have been in a race since I became an adult, but I sure loved to beat the boys at a foot race when I was young.

Even though I am no longer racing the boys, I will watch others race. I love watching swimmers compete in the Olympics, the Tour de France bicycle race, the Kentucky Derby, and even the occasional Nascar race. I can’t imagine the dedication and sacrifices that the athletes have gone through to be at the top of their game.

Some athletes are occasionally in the news because they got disqualified. They might have won the race, but the win is taken from them because they broke the rules. Most of the time, they have used an illegal enhancement substance that gave them an edge. All those years of dedication and sacrifice are down the drain, all because they decided to shortcut the process. They weren’t willing to compete honestly; they wanted an unfair advantage.

I am sure that you probably know someone who has decided to circumvent the rules. Some might cheat on their taxes, some might enhance their resumes, and some might make shady business deals.

Did you know that blogging is a business? I occasionally have a sponsored post which means that a brand is paying me to review their products. My review is my thoughts and opinions, but I am still paid for my time. Brands usually find bloggers like me on Instagram, and they set your pay rate based on the number of Instagram followers you have.

Like some athletes, some bloggers aren’t willing to wait for their follower count to rise, and instead, they decide to shortcut the system. They purchase fake followers, likes, and comments to inflate their reach. A brand looks at the number of followers and then hires them, thinking that they are getting someone with a lot of reach.

This is something that I have personally been struggling with. I see people who I know are buying fake followers getting lots of sponsored posts. So, they are making lots of money by cheating the system, and it has been messing with me.

We all know that the devil will use our weaknesses to try and prod us into doing something that gives him glory instead of God. He has been telling me that if I want to compete in this arena, I have to “play the game” and buy followers. The devil is always pointing out a post that someone got and whispering, “that could have been you if you would just go ahead and play the game.”

Earlier this week, I opened up my daily devotional, and it was about running a race.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

I’ve read this verse many times, and after I read the verse, I prayed to the Lord and said, “thank you, Lord, for reminding me that you have a race marked out for me.” I then decided to stop looking left or right and instead look straight ahead and run my race.

However, the Lord wasn’t finished with me yet. Later that day, I opened another 90-day devotional that I was doing, and once again, it was about a race. Except, this time, the verse was not about the race, but about HOW we run the race.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

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.

RUN IN SUCH A WAY!!! All runners get to be in a race, but only the ones with integrity end up winning the race. Don’t you just love it when the Lord speaks to you and kicks the devil to the curb at the same time?

People will always cheat, game the system, and try to get ahead by taking a shortcut. But that isn’t me, and I bet that it isn’t you either. My Heavenly race is more important to me, and the prize is far too great for me to run the risk of being disqualified.

Take a few moments and think how the devil has been whispering to you. Let the Lord kick him to the curb, and start running your race in such a way that you will get the prize.

To God Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!