Over much of this month I have discovered a class of people that participate in a very interesting activity… exercise. I’ve begun to participate in this activity as well. It’s quite a different type of work. It doesn’t involve much desk work (if any), it doesn’t involve school work, and it doesn’t involve much creative thinking.
And yet exercise is still very difficult (for me at least) to get in the habit of doing. It’s difficult physically and mentally. That difficulty, though, along with a proper diet can produce amazing results.
Why am I telling you this?
Because strict (athletic) training is an analogy that Paul uses in his 1st letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 9:25-27 – “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” (NASB)
Paul uses the analogy of exercising self-control to highlight something even more important than athletic training. He runs and boxes in such a way that he will not be disqualified. The word Paul uses for discipline literally means “bruise,” so Paul is being very harsh with his body.
He is being harsh for the right reason. So that he will not be disqualified.
There are important lessons to be learned from this passage. Let me emphasize two of them:
Self-Control is important in all things. Paul says those who compete in the games exercise self-control for a perishable wreath, but we for an imperishable. This should be an incentive for us as Christians to be self-controlled with others, alone, at church, work, school, and everywhere else.
There’s not time limit for when we are to be self-controlled. It’s a 24/7 thing. If we are truly to have self-control in all things, then we must be consistent about it. In everything, everyplace, and every time, we should remember the importance of self-control.
Discipline serves a purpose. Paul says , “I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air.” This is important to recognize. Everything Paul does is for a purpose. He has an aim when he runs and he doesn’t beat the air when he boxes.
He does this so that he won’t be disqualified. Paul makes his body his “slave.” We should follow the example of Paul. That means making our body a slave to the plan of Christ and will of Christ. We don’t discipline for nothing, but for someone. We have to be willing to discipline and even bruise our body for Christ’s sake and purposes.
So while I’m still getting used to this exercise phenomenon thing, I think there are important lessons we can learn from Paul at the same time with a similar analogy. Let’s exercise self-control in all things and recognize the purpose of discipline as we remember Paul’s words, “They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”
