I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. —1 Corinthians 9:27.
“Practice what you preach!”
“I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.”
“Put your life where your mouth is!”
Each statement has the same goal: following God’s will and living under Jesus’ Lordship led by the Spirit without hypocrisy and with dedicated faithfulness. Those of us who speak out most openly about our faith in Jesus also need to ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the same standard we call others to follow. Self-scrutiny and a brother or sister in Christ who holds us accountable and encourages us when we are discouraged are essential if we are going to live faithfully what we say we believe. Like Paul who gave us this challenging verse, let’s prepare to live for Jesus like an athlete prepares to compete in the Olympic Games.