READ
REFLECT
Competitors are winners. During the workout, they focus on doing their best. With beads of sweat running down their foreheads and exhaustion setting in, they manage to get in one more rep.
It doesn’t matter if they placed first. What matters is that when time gets called, they know they give their all. They don’t give up and push their limits.
Competitors understand that winners work hard and struggle. They know that meaningful victories are the ones that take the most time to achieve.
In addition, because of their work ethic, competitors often take home medals and trophies. As winners, they set an example of peak athletic performance for others to follow.
God also wants us to be winners. He wants us to play on His team and use that as an opportunity to overcome the world. Think about the winners in the Bible and what they received for playing on the Lord’s team.
Abraham was promised land, blessings, and that he would be the “father of many nations.” Elizabeth was barren but bore John the Baptist, the prophet that would mark for the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. Saul, who would become Paul, became one of the greatest missionaries for Christ.
Abraham, Elizabeth, and Paul all understood that when you play for Jesus, you get a trophy that doesn’t rust or gather up dust. 1 Corinthians 9:25 says, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
And the great thing about playing for Team Jesus, is that when we do things for Him, we always come out winners.
RESPOND
1. Find another winner in the Bible and write down the way Jesus blessed them because they played for His team.
2. Commit 1 Corinthians 9:25 to memory.
