Running the Race

Do you ever find yourself lagging in the spiritual disciplines as the week goes on? You know what I mean, right? After a great time of worship and the word in church on Sunday, you're motivated to spend time with God in the Bible and in prayer... But then, as it gets later and later in the week, it's seems to get more and more difficult to set aside the time to do that...

Some people say that as you grow closer to God, some things simply fall into place. Your character and actions will automatically reflect your transformation toward Christ-likeness. To a certain degree, that's true... The fruit of the Spirit will grow as you mature. But even mature Christians sometimes find it hard to walk the narrow path.

The Bible says that in order to follow Jesus, we need to be intentional about our discipleship. Paul says it's like a race, and that we should run in such a way as to get the prize. We can't simply make a decision to follow Jesus, and then coast. It takes effort. It takes intentionality. It takes obedience.

Just read John 14 & 15 and count how many times Jesus says that loving him means obeying him. Obedience is intentional... It's a decision that we have to make. Just like spending time with God through the word and prayer, service to others is a spiritual discipline and an act of obedience that we have to intentionally foster in our lives.