The Right Direction

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 someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 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. (1 Corinthians 9:25-27)

Yesterday we talked about running the race of life to win. If you’re going to have to run, you might as well run to win, right? Well, part of running to win is making sure you’re running in the right direction.

If you are running in the wrong direction, it doesn’t matter how hard you run, how fast you run, or how far you run. You don’t win a race by just running around in circles or running where you think you ought to run. You have to run toward the finish line. You don’t win a boxing match by just throwing punches in the air. You don’t win a boxing match by swinging wildly and hoping something connects. In both cases, you’ve got to be focused on the finish and focused on the fight. If your aim is not right, you will hit the wrong target every time.

If you’re going to run in the right direction, you first have to determine what the right direction is. To do that, you’ve got to decide, “Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?” Too many people are just shadow boxing. Most people in life are not serious about life. Let me tell you why. You are not serious about life, until you are serious about God, and if you are not headed toward God, the will of God, the work of God, the worship of God, you are headed in the wrong direction. You are just running around in circles. You are just throwing punches into the air.

I don’t want to run the race of life only to realize at the end of the day, I was running in the wrong direction. If you are living life the way it was meant to be lived, every day brings you closer to Jesus, not farther away. You need to focus on the finish and the finish is not a place; the finish is a person named Jesus. To win the race, you’ve got to go in the right direction.

Dear Father, I want nothing more than to run in the right direction towards you, your will, and your plan for my life. Keep me in line with the path you have marked out for me, and give me the strength to withstand the temptation to veer off in the wrong direction. In Jesus’ name, amen.