“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

                      -I Corinthians 9:27

Paul was a busy man. He was constantly preaching the Gospel (I Corinthians 9:16), traveling to new places (Galatians 1:21; 2:1), and doing his best to encourage those he’d already converted by writing numerous epistles to churches throughout the region. He had such great responsibility that it’s amazing he had time for anything but the ministry and yet, in this passage, we find he was very aware of the fact that his own spirituality could not afford to be neglected in his efforts to bless others. His point was simple: what good would it accomplish if he disqualified himself from the race he was telling others they needed to run? 

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

           -Mark 8:36

So many times our circumstances make it difficult for us to spend more than a little time each day in personal, 1 on 1 time with God. It’s hardest when these distractions come in the form of ministry opportunities and obligations (or sometimes perceived obligations) to others. Whether it’s a sermon to prepare, a prayer meeting to organize, or even a blog post to write, it’s easy to forget about the fact that, when you’re constantly pouring yourself into the lives of those around you, you must take the time to be refilled yourself. Truthfully, if we do as the disciples did and “forget to take bread” (Matthew 16:5), we simply won’t have the strength to feed anybody else.

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”

             -1 Corinthians 9:24

While I’ve never really been involved in racing, I know from my limited observation of the sport that, when you’re disqualified, you’re no longer allowed onto the track. You can’t come up behind a struggling contestant and urge him or her to keep going; you’ve lost your platform and are confined to watching helplessly from the sidelines. Likewise, being able to minister successfully requires that we ourselves stay in the race so we will be able to help those without strength keep moving forward and, eventually, cross the finish line. Are you in good shape?