Text: 1 Corinthians 9:25 NKJV

Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

1 Corinthians 9:25 NKJV

MESSAGE

If there is something we have learned from men who have succeeded in life was their ability to do extraordinary things to achieve success. Though such men were ordinary people like us, but they went all the way in their area of endeavor. Some of them became professionals, masters, and even consultants in the process but it is all for this temporal world.

How great would it be then if you as a Christian go the extra mile to gain the fullness of God’s presence? Would be a thing incredible to spend your best in seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness? Our text of the day showed us that the people who compete in the earthly race do so for corruptible crowns but we an incorruptible.

This means that what God is offering us is beyond this human realm if we will press on into the fullness of Christ. What our heavenly Father is offering us is a chance to be relevant even into eternity.

For proper perspective, I will give you the example of an ordinary man in Nigeria who became extraordinary in God’s hand. He was mightily used in the revival of 1930 that led many out of darkness into the glorious light of Christ. This was a man who followed God the extra mile. He outprayed, outpreached, and outobeyed many ministers of his time. It’s been more than. 50 years after his death, people still advertise crusades and meetings with his picture.

That was a man who went the extra mile with God. You also can do the same. After all, the Bible told us that men like Elijah were no special breeds but ordinary men and women like us buffetted with the same challenges of life, but the differentiating factor was their willingness to go all the way and get all of God (James 5:17).

Another man of similar passion was John Knox of Scotland who prayed the famous prayer, “Give Me Scotland Or Else I Die”. Yes, God honored that holy desperation for His kingdom to be established on earth.

Friends, if we must come into this dimension, then we must be willing to do what others will consider too hard. We must pray more, fast more, seek God’s face through His word, and consecrate more. You must be willing to do the will of God at all costs and at all times. This is the price, but the glory is way beyond the temporal gain of this earth.

Will you go with Him all the way? It is better for you to follow Christ all the way than to go halfway. Behold the great cloud of witnesses who have gone ahead, you can also join these heroes of the Christian faith if you follow after their examples of radical faith in Christ (Hebrews 12:1).

REFLECTION

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.

Philippians 3:8 NKJV

Do your best to go all the way with God and He will show Himself strong Strong in your life.

PRAYER

Father, I receive the grace to strive for the things of eternal value. Help me to live day to day to gain Christ.