Running

Hi all, just introducing myself, I'm Michele Ria's friend from Trinidad, one of the new contributors. Blessings to you all.
Just some meat to chew on, I was reading 1Cor.9: 24-27. The NKJV says: "do you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it,(v.24). Now I love the NKJV, but the NLT brings out those verse in a whole new way. Same verse "Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win.(v.25) All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. "Strict self-control", this really had me thinking especially about my walk with Christ, do i practice "strict self-control"? Not always, in fact i fail at this a lot. Sometimes as believers we forget at times that we are called to be self disciplined, it takes discipline to serve Christ, read his word, pray, witness, be faithful to your local church and each other. We get distracted and just like in a race, you can fall, hurt yourself, become tired, give up. I like the next verse: (v.26) So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. Wow, to be an athlete it takes real commitment and purpose. So it is with us, I must have purpose in every step, how many of us when we're in a situation, forget our purpose, who we are in Christ, it happens to the best of us, yet we must press on. We can't miss just like the scripture says, in fact it's a declaration, "I'm not like the boxer who misses his punches, I will not miss, I shall not. Last verse; (v.27) I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. This verse just seals everything for me. Paul knew his back ground where he come from the things he did, so he was not just speaking to the Corinthians, but also to himself, as am I. The whole reason he used a runner or athlete as an example was to show the seriousness of our walk with Christ, it's not a game, we have to be examples of the faith, how can I preach Christ and not live Christ, this disqualifies me, and as in a race, just as in our Christian Faith, if we do not walk uprightly we will become disqualified. I don't want to be, how about you, I want to win and obtain the prize. So lets obtain that prize. Till next time, Blessings.