Walking in the light, staying on the straight and narrow can be very difficult occasionally. Even professional Olympic athletes will, on rare occasions, stumble over their own feet. It is no different for Christians. Occasionally, the best of us still stumble into sin. After all, Jesus said that the way beyond the narrow way is difficult (Matthew 7:14).
Sometimes, when walking the difficult path of righteousness, we feel as if we are unworthy of the calling to follow Jesus. This feeling of unworthiness leads many to lose self-confidence and believe that they are spiritually weak. But what we need to remember is what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Thus, whatever struggle with failure in our pursuit of righteousness we are experiencing is not something entirely unique and can befall any Christian. Take the Apostle Peter, for example. He was one of Jesus’ closest disciples, yet on the night of Jesus’ arrest, he denied Christ three times. Later, he succumbed to peer pressure and withdrew from eating with the Gentile converts to Christianity (Galatians 2:11-14). Not only Peter, but his actions caused other Jewish Christians in Antioch to withdraw from their Gentile brethren…even Barnabas was caught up in this division.
So, if great models of Christianity, such as Peter and Barnabas, can stumble, so can we. The good news is that even if we do stumble, it does not need to be the end of our race. We need to regain our footing and keep running towards the goal. It is only when we allow our stumble to diminish our determination to run the race we are at the greatest risk of dropping out of the race altogether.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul provides an analogy between preparing for an Olympic run and running the Christian race. In this comparison, we learn that it takes a determined plan of disciplined practice to run the race victoriously.
Do you not 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. 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. Therefore, I run thus: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Do you have a good plan to forge yourself into a victorious champion for Christ?
(Carl Hartman is the Minister at Main Street Church of Christ in Lockney)
