1 Corinthians 9

Scripture  1 Corinthians 9:26-27   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. Observation-What does it say?  In chapter eight and nine, Paul discusses our use of liberty as Christians.  Throughout the new testament, we find that we have freedom from the law, but we are not to use the freedom as an opportunity or an excuse to continue in sin (Galatians 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16).  In chapter nine, Paul expounds on this idea, making sure we know that our behavior should be geared at building up the body of Christ. In the end, he uses the example of competing to show the extent of our calling to discipline, as one who competes lets go of everything that would hinder him from gaining a prize. Understanding-What does it mean?  In our world of sports today, we see people going to extreme lengths to be known as the greatest.  Baseball players have filled their bats with cork, pumped themselves full of steroids, and even banged on trash cans to gain a slight advantage.  There are stories of runners hoping in cabs to get to the finish of marathons faster. Then there are characters like Lance, who involved a whole team of doctors, trainers, and teammates to hide a system of illegal injections.  In the end, a lot of these people have been stripped of their titles and left us to wonder if there is any integrity anymore.   But then, every once in a while, there are other characters that come out of the sports world who repair our hope.  The Tillman’s and the DiMaggio's, who gave up the fanfare to serve their country. There are also countless others who, through coaching and volunteering, have taught us to place others in front of ourselves. As we draw near to Christ, Paul is encouraging us to have integrity in our walk.  We are called to let go of all distractions as we run to Him. But, not just consider this as a means for our benefit, we must acknowledge that the way we live affects the outcome of other’s.  Let us not turn others away from the gospel by living in a way that diminishes God’s grace (Philippians 2:3-4). Life Application  Jesus, I’m sorry for where I have allowed my liberty to cause people to stumble.  Help me to trust in your calling on my life. Give me strength where I am weak, and grace when I need it.  Let me always tell the gospel story with my actions, and help me to line up my words with that.    
-Tyler Galloway