Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Paul compares the Christian life to a game; a race and a boxing match to be specific. Of course the Christian life is not like a game in its triviality. Also, we are not competing against each other in a winner-take-all way. So how are they alike.
Risk – There is a risk that we, after spending lifetimes working to follow Christ, show in the end that we never really had faith in Him. We can let our focus slip from Him onto the things of this world. We can start following the idols of the heart again, and lose it all. This risk even applies to the Apostle Paul. He talks about the need to run in order to win and not lose, and about how he works hard to avoid being ‘disqualified.’
Training – Paul speaks of exercise, self-control, and discipline. This is training. The Christian life takes hard work. But here is the amazing thing about training – it is actually the most hopeful thing in the world. When you train hard at a game, or when you exercise your body, you don’t do it perfectly. You don’t run with perfect form or speed. You don’t measure up to the standard of the best runner in the world. You don’t even measure up (if you are like me) to your own standards of what you could do in the past! When you do something wrong in training, you make a note of it, and continue to train. Continue to make small adjustments over time as you consistently practice. This is the difference grace makes. It gives us room to train ourselves in the righteousness that we could never measure up to under the law. How wonderful an opportunity that is!
Goal – Finally, the Christian life is like a game or a race or a boxing match because it has a goal – an aim. The difference is that the competitions of this world yield trophies that grow old, fall apart, fade away into obscurity and mean nothing in the end. The rewards of the Christian life, however, are eternal. They never fade in glory or magnificence. They will last forever, for we will live forever with our Lord Jesus, who is our final reward and the goal of everything.