The Competitive Edge

I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

1 Corinthians 9:27

The people of Corinth knew all about the self-discipline it takes to become a top athlete. Every two years, the city of Corinth held the Isthmian Games, similar to the Olympics in Athens. Potential athletes trained hard for ten months. If they didn't complete the training or if they broke the rules, they were disqualified from participating in the prestigious competition.

The apostle Paul wanted his readers to understand the same principle was true when it came to going the distance in life. He filled the ninth chapter of his letter to the Corinthians with boxing and running illustrations that allude to the Isthmian Games. But verse 27 lies at the heart of the passage. It explains why self-discipline is crucial for Christians. When God asks you to do something, you want to be spiritually up to the task. You don't want anything to get in the way of your success. That includes any bad habits, uncontrolled passions, or lazy attitudes. 

Through sheer self-effort, you can discipline your body for athletic competition. Disciplining your body and your soul for spiritual challenges is possible only with God's help. Ask God to show you if there is any area where your lack of self-control could interfere with what he wants you to do. Use Paul's words as an inspiration to gain better discipline in that area.

Like a star athlete who leaves fans disillusioned by acting inappropriately, a Christian who behaves inappropriately can turn others away from God. Let Paul's words remind you that undisciplined words or actions can have serious consequences.

Source: The 100 Most Important Bible Verses

Pray to God for spiritual maturity, for discipline in the self through his will; not by your wants and desires. Our earthly wisdom is limited and will yield emotional outcomes when push comes to shove. God's wisdom is limitless and always yields love. Without a relationship with God we are subject to unnecessary hardship and sorrow. God created us to love and share love; even when it's not fair. We are not the JUDGE but He is. Let his wisdom and judgement guide your footsteps and actions. ~ MME Team

Follow Me

Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you."

Matthew 28:19-20

Discipleship is similar to an internship, where hands-on learning comes from closely following the experienced example of another. While on earth Jesus invited twelve disciples to follow him. For three years they ate with him. They listened and learned through his words and actions. When Jesus rose from the dead, only eleven remained. As Jesus prepared to return to heaven, he challenged those men to put into practice what they'd learned - by making more disciples.

Jesus's mission statement, often referred to as the Great Commission, is directed to everyone who responds to his call to follow him. In the Great Commission, Jesus outlined how his disciples should go and help others grow. First, he explained the scope of their task. In going to "all nations," Jesus assured his disciples that no place on earth was to be exempt from the scope of God's life-changing love.

Second, Jesus instructed his disciples to baptize and to teach. Baptism is a symbol of an inner rebirth that connects new believers with a community of Christians. Teaching budding disciples to focus on Jesus's teaching assured new believers that they would live under the freedom of grace.

Teaching and baptizing a new believer begin the transformation of a new believer into a disciple. However, discipleship is an ongoing process. As you help others mature spiritually, Jesus will bring you to maturity as well.

Helping others find out more about God is Jesus's command for everyone who follows him. Ask God how you can help others see him more clearly.

Source: The 100 Most Important Bible Verses

Pray to God and give thanks for Jesus. His one and only Son, SON OF MAN, who delivered us from our sin and who we seek to glorify and honor for his unselfish love. Pray for strength in faith. A continued growth in personal maturity and a relationship with God. So we may leave a legacy of future disciples to follow HIM. ~ MME Team

Running to Win

One thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.

Philippians 3:13-14

When the apostle Paul said there is "one thing I always do," it is time to sit up and listen. Paul summarized his goal in life and shared a couple of quick tips on how to persevere toward reaching it. That makes his advice not only important, but extremely helpful to those with that same goal in mind.

Paul's images of "straining toward what is ahead" and "trying to reach the goal" paint a picture of a long-distance runner whose focus on the rewards of the finish line gives him the strength to persevere, one step at a time. The goal Paul pointed to is God's call to run toward a Jesus-centered life, leaving his self-centered life behind in the dust. The prize he longed to reach was not eternal life, because Jesus's death has already achieved that. Instead, Paul pursued a mature Christian life, one that yielded rewards both in heaven and on earth. 

Paul's purpose and process for perseverance provide practical applications you can use every day of your life. Put your past mistakes, victories, and self-reliance behind you. Focus your attention and energy on Jesus, not on those running the race alongside you. Keep moving forward - your endurance increases the harder and the farther you run. Keep the finish line in sight. It doesn't mark the end of your life; it marks the beginning of an eternity spent in the winner's circle with Jesus, the One who enables you to be victorious.

Persevering toward maturity in your faith takes both personal effort and the transforming power of God's Spirit. God works through you as you do his work.

Source: The 100 Most Important Bible Verses

Pray to God for obedience over your mind and body to run the race he has laid out for you. Let us not get lost in our own self-reliance and/or abilities. Rely only on God's will and seek sustainability to worship him even in the times of pain and hurt. Our flesh is weak but our spirit is strong when we a-line our life's purpose with that of God's gifts.

Piecing Life Together

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together - spirit, soul, and body - and keep you fit for the coming of the Master, Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

He recognized that people cannot achieve the process of maturity that leads to wholeness though self-effort. It requires the power of God. 

          A jigsaw puzzle is made up of multiple parts. It is only when these parts are put together, when the puzzle is whole and complete, that you see the picture it was designed to display. Your life is the same way. Your life is made up of many complex components: family, life, job, hobbies, physical health, emotional state, present circumstances, past experiences, hope for the future, relationship with God. It would be easy to feel that your life is fragmented, like unconnected pieces of a puzzle that don't seem to fit. But that isn't the way you were designed.

          God designed you to be whole and complete, where every part of your life interconnects with his love and his plan. This doesn't happen automatically or overnight. That is why the apostle Paul asked God to help the people in the church at Thessalonica to continue to move closer toward wholeness in their lives. He recognized that people cannot achieve the process of maturity that leads to wholeness though self-effort. It requires the power of God. Paul's prayer is one you need to pray for yourself.

          Ask God to help pull the pieces of your life together according to his original design. As you choose to keep God at the center of your life, you'll find your own unique "picture" becoming more complete. Your job, your relationships, and your dreams work together, linked to one another because they are each solidly linked back to God.

          Let Paul's prayer make you more aware of the big picture behind what's going on in your life. Ask God to help you get a better glimpse of what that really is.

          ~ MME Team