Get Focused...

Read I Corinthians 9:24-27

This passage is written with the backdrop of the Isthmian games - the equivalent of our Olympics. This event was held every two years ten miles outside the city of Corinth. These games brought people from every part of the Mediterranean to compete or just watch. It was the sporting event of the year - drawing the empire’s best talent. Athletes would compete in foot races, broad jumping, discus throwing, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, and equestrian contests. They would compete fiercely, each striving for the Isthmian crown - a wreath of wild celery.
Winners received a lifetime exemption from paying taxes and serving in the military. They would also receive free tuition at one of their universities. Statues of themselves would be erected along the road that led to the site of the games. But the real prize was the celery wreath, awarded to the winner at the end of the games.
Today we will deal with another key to running this race called life effectively. It is to Perceive or get focused. Again in verse 25, “Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
We do this to receive a crown that will last forever. If we want to run the race you must know where we are going. Our finish line is heaven. Heaven is our goal and we must be heavenly minded. All of us have heard the phrase “They are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.” That should not pertain to any of us reading this today. Our goal is heaven but we continue to live balanced lives here on earth. To win the race requires us to be focused on the goal. The prize we seek is not temporal or earthly. The things of this earth will pass away. Our focus should be on that which will remain – the imperishable crown.
We are a reward driven people. We do our best if we know that there is a reward waiting for us. We are taught at a very young age that rewards are at the end of the journey. I remember when I was a kid and I wanted to go outside and play football or something. My mom’s response almost always was, “Is your room cleaned up?” You see, when I got my room cleaned up, I was able to have the reward of going out and playing.
God knows us so well that he created in us a desire to receive the reward of rewards. In every human being is a drive to earn rewards. While we cannot earn our heavenly crowns, we can run the race with the reward in view. I remember seeing my first pig race at the state fair. They would line the pigs up and place some food at the end of a stick and those pigs would chase that food all around without taking their eyes off that food. We need to live with the reward of heaven in front of us and not take our eyes off of that reward for one second.
The winner who received the crown only did so after much endurance. His crown was a perishable crown - BUT OURS IS IMPERISHABLE. It will last forever. Since these athletes did so much training for a perishable crown - how much more should we strive for an imperishable crown.

“Only one thing has to change for us to know happiness in our lives: where we focus our attention.”
- Greg Anderson