PUSH BUTTONS
The Crowned Athlete
No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. — 2 Timothy 2:3–4
There is a way to win in the Christian race. There is this yoruba adage that says one way doesn’t lead to the market but in the Christian circle, one way does. Jesus said straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to everlasting life (Matthew 7:13–14).
In 2 Timothy, Apostle Paul admonishes the Christian to strive for mastery but not according to our own laws, or our own preferences and individual assumptions of the requirements of the race. There’s a lawful requirement to trade and to run. You can’t expect to enter through the wide gate and step into everlasting life at the end. The promise of everlasting life starts at the strait gate which leads to the narrow way. It is not just how you enter but how you continue. Some people enter through the strait gate and find a way to join the broad way, veering off the narrow way and still keep everlasting life in view. Everlasting life is at the end of the narrow way, it’s the combination of the strait gate and narrow way that leads us to that promise. I recall that in 2019, when the then Governor of Lagos State commissioned the ministry of works to put barricades to separate the express roads from the service lanes so that pedestrians are forced to use the pedestrians bridges. Before long, we saw that some hooligans had opened up the wire frames, they wanted to get to the other side by going through the broad way because it looked easier but it wasn’t safer.
To receive the crown, we must strive for mastery lawfully. Sports is very analogous to the concept that Apostle Paul explains here.
In the just concluded Olympics, there were 10,500 athletes and 1,468 medals given. 80,000 athlete registered for the Olympics, but 10,500 entered the race for medals in the different sports, of course because 10,500 met all the requirements in terms of timing and quality of application. Of the 10,500, only 1,468 medals were given across gold, silver or bronze tiers for the different sports. More specifically, Usain Bolt currently has the world record for the fastest runner in the world. It’s currently at 9.58 seconds for the 100m sprint, but he beat it by first beating the former fastest runner who had 9.74 and then he, Usain Bolt, did 9.72, 9.69 and then 9.58.
One of the beautiful things in the Olympics was seeing gold medalists account their win to Jesus. Again it underscores the fact that Christianity doesn’t excuse sloppiness, there’s room for sheer determination, ruthless execution, showing up everyday in this our Christian walk, but I digress, let’s continue.
For Usain Bolt or Asafa Powell, to beat world records or even for any athlete at all to compete, there are at least four things they must have mastered more than others. This lends its relevance to us as well. We have a race before us and as athletes, we must master these four things to win.
First, master your terrain. There are 3 terrains you need to gain mastery over, basically to understand them so that you can use that understanding to your advantage. They are your body, the world and other forces.
To master your body you need to know your body, the makeup of “your flesh and the way your body uniquely interacts with cues in its surroundings. When you understand these two concepts, you know what you need to mortify. There’s much more to say here, but let’s move on. The second is the world, Apostle John already said all that is in this world is summed up in the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, understanding this teaches you how to wisely navigate this world. The last is other forces which include times and seasons, your adversary which is the devil, and principalities and powers. You must, in running the Christian race, understand that these forces exist and they can influence outcomes.
Second, master the time — the bible talks about redeeming the time because the days are evil, there are things we must do while it is day because when the night comes, no man can work. These concepts have multiple applications. You redeem the time by walking and acting wisely. You act wisely when you understand His will. If His will sounds very esoteric for you, start with understanding the counsel of God in His word, if you are full of the Word, you’ll know His will.
Third, master the rules — There are rules for the game which includes lawful competing. A sportsman can do well on doping drugs or wears but he will be disqualified. The bible is replete with rules and principles for the christian, one of those principles worth highlighting is the concept of love in 1 Corinthians 13, as the base where every Christian must live from. Love is the multiplier and anything we do, whether grand or small, without love is nothing.
Fourth, master the tools — What have you been given? What do you have? Most times as christians, we traverse this earth as though we have been left as helpless orphans, but Jesus has corrected this false narrative saying, He would not leave us as orphans but He will send a Helper. We see two things, He will not leave us orphans; He secured fatherhood for us in God through His sacrifice on the cross, and topping that He sent a Helper, that Helper is here and we all have Him in us. He is the Holy Ghost, hallelujah!! Most of us have not even touched the surface, talk more of scratching it where engaging the ministry of the Holy Spirit is concerned. There are many more tools available to you, but I’ll leave you to uncover those and remind yourself of them in meditation.
You don’t attempt to master these things at the most important events of your life, for e.g. the Olympics, else you set up yourself to fail. You master them in successive measures as you practise. That’s one of the reasons, I believe, Jesus left us on the earth after we got saved, and gave us His Spirit as our coach, because He wants us to practice mastery, and do it lawfully. Apostle Paul aptly put it saying, do you not know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
It’s akin to a sprint runner, practising with 25 seconds and happy that he finished his race in 20 seconds when the current average time is set at 13 seconds. Or an athlete doping himself either technologically or pharmacologically to give himself an uneven advantage, and getting excited that he beats the time. His excitement is unfounded and he is building castles on air because he is practising under false, unrealistic and unacceptable conditions.
So friend, I encourage you today to run, because there is a race before you, you have stepped into the faith lane through the straight gate. Don’t look for shortcuts, or be like those hooligans and cut through wire frames, follow the narrow way that leads to everlasting life and we would all see one another in the other side by His grace!
Have a blessed and productive week
For His glory and His renown,
Olayinka Adebayo
IG/Twitter: @layinkadebayo
Push Buttons is a weekly devotional of The Powerpoint Tribe.
