Every year at Callander Bay Church I give what I call the State of the Union Address. I know it's an American thing, but I like it better than throne speech. We've gone through a hard year at our church. It was a little bit hard to be positive. But when I began to reflect I realized that some of the greatest teaching moments and learning curves take place in the midst of difficulty. Out of this year came a new determination to not be detered and distracted. A new sense that the spiritual journey is one that needs to be run to win. The apostle Paul sums up this attitude in his letter to the Corinthians when he wrote:
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 challenge our congregation and myself that if we want to run to win we must have:
1. Purposeful Focus - this entails an outward focus and setting clear goals.
2. Proper Equipment - a model of ministry that allows effective ministry to be done using the multiplicity of gifts in our church.
3. Personal Cost - it is going to cost my time (no one can do my prayer, fasting, solitude, bible reading, telling others about Christ for me:), my energy, and my finances.
I don't know if you have ever played ping pong, but there is a certain point when you have been goofing around and hitting the ball back and forth that you stop and say, "Do you want to play for real?" I think I'm beginning to reach that point on my spiritual journey. It's time to run to win.
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