Throughout my career in education I have had the opportunity to both teach in the academic classroom and coach on the athletic field whether it was a court or a mat. Over the years I have consistently drawn a comparison between the two, teachers in the classroom are in essence coaches and the role of a coach is centered around "teaching" athletes the ins and outs of the moves, plays, or skills associated with that particular sport. That being said, it only stands to reason that the athletes I've coached and the students I've taught in the classroom were both preparing for the test. In the classroom that may have looked like a pencil and paper format while in the athletic realm the test came in the form of a competition or match. That preparation is our focus today, in life we are prepping and studying for when it is our turn to step up and perform.
The Apostle Paul made several analogies referencing running in his epistles to the churches in Corinth and Ephesus. Although the Olympics had not yet been established, Paul and the people of this area were familiar with the Isthmian Games, a precursor of the Olympics, which most certainly would have involved numerous track and field type events. Relating a life of committed service to Christ to the training associated with running a race would have been relatable to the citizens of the day. Hence the following call for self-discipline shared by Paul found in I Corinthians 9:24-25 "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." So, to my earlier point, whether you are preparing to take a test or if you are preparing to run a race, the training involved is the key to success on your test or race.
To actually have a chance at winning a competitive race the commitment to training is essential. I'm talking Rocky Balboa style training. Up early, relentless reps, and ultimately pushing yourself beyond the limits of what appeared possible. Taking a day off is not even an option and cutting corners negatively impacts one person, you. Now compare that to studying for a test such as the ACT. To have a chance at competing at the highest level on the ACT test, you have to be committed, you study hours upon hours, and you don't take days off when you know you should be studying. I don't suppose Paul ever prepared for the ACT, but I think you get the idea, in your walk with our Creator that same type of commitment is required.
How exactly do we "train" as a disciple for Christ? And what exactly is the "race" that we all must run? Good questions, to which our running coach Paul gives us the answer through two scriptures. In a continuance of the aforementioned scripture from I Corinthians 9, Paul explains how to prepare for the race that we all eventually run. "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." I Corinthians 9:26-27. If we are in training for a race or if we are studying for a test we have a target, a goal in mind, that guides us and directs us so that we aren't just running around aimlessly. God's Holy Bible tells us how to train and gives us a study guide by which we prepare for the test. We spend time intentionally worshiping God, we actively seek His will for this life we have been given to live, and we purposefully spend time with our "life coach" through focused prayer. We practice and prepare so that when we are faced with a choice of right vs wrong we will make the right choice. We train and study so that when we are asked about our faith we won't be disqualified because we haven't prepared. Then if we have trained and studied we will be able to humbly say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." II Timothy 4:7-8. The race of life is a simple one to explain. We run the course of the life that we have been given to live. We make choices each day that impact the trajectory of the course we will run. At some point you must choose which course you will run, that is the free choice our Creator gave us and a choice that you will make and one that I must make as well. My prayer is that you will choose to finish the race that God planned out for you. Practice, study, and then run the race! In other words, "Be Prepared".
Coach Carter
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