Three Spiritual Lessons to Keep You in the Race By Rick Warren

“In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win. To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-26 TLB)

Did you know that you’re in a race?

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26, “In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win. To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best. An athlete goes to all this trouble just to win a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win” (TLB).

While you’re running your race, I don’t want you to get sidelined. I don’t want you to get run off into a ditch. I want you to make it to the finish line and win the prize.

Just like the soldier, the athlete has three things to teach us about being the best we can be.

1. You must intend to win. This is the difference in being a casual Christian and a committed Christian. Is there a difference between a competitive golfer and a casual golfer? Oh yeah. The committed golfer takes it seriously. He’s playing to win. The casual golfer is just having fun during his time off. The difference is the degree of seriousness. If you’re going to win in life, it’s got to be intentional. It’s not going to happen by accident or without effort. How serious are you about being who God made you to be?

2. You must discipline yourself. No athlete becomes a pro athlete without training. You don’t become great by doing whatever you feel like doing. There are no shortcuts to maturity. There are no shortcuts to greatness. What are some things you can do without so you can spend more time with God, give more to God, serve more, and be more of what God wants you to be?

3. You must stay focused on the reward. You can handle enormous pain and discipline in your life if you realize there’s a purpose for it and that there’s going to be a payoff at the end.

The Bible says in Hebrews 12:2, “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God” (MSG)

Three Spiritual Lessons to Keep You in the Race By Rick Warren

Earning The Respect of Your Teenage Children By David Burrows

 Parents should care for their children.

Scripture states, “…Children are a reward from Him” (Ps. 127:3 NIV). However, in today’s busy and mixed-up society, children are very frequently seen more as a burden than as a treasure. Parents sometimes don’t care about or for their children. Caring does not mean simply providing for their children’s daily needs; it also means teaching them the difference between right and wrong and taking time to see that their concerns are taken care of and their questions about life are answered.

A parent who cares will spend time with his or her children and talk to them about what the children want to talk about. Many teens become distant from their parents because of their parents’ one-way communication with them. Some parents only talk to their children when the children are in trouble or when they failed to carry out an assigned task.

Ask teens about their favorite music group or their favorite basketball team or player. Ask them about school, their friends, and their plans for the future. The more you talk with them, the more you learn about them. Parents must take good care of what God has entrusted to them.

 

Parents are supposed to discipline their children.

The issue of discipline is a big one for both parents and teens. Teenagers know that discipline is a painful part of love, and they actually want to be disciplined. A parent who takes time to correct a young person may not be liked at the moment when the discipline is administered, but he or she will be respected.

The Bible states very clearly that if you ignore discipline, your children will go astray. How many times have you seen a spoiled brat? Worse yet, a rich spoiled brat? No one likes to be around that type of child—discipline gives your children an advantage beyond monetary. Of course, when a child reaches those teen years, the methods of discipline employed by the parents should change.

Younger children often need physical discipline. However, if a child has been under your care for 13 years and does not respond to your discipline, you must not have disciplined properly during the earlier years. In such a case physical punishment is no longer the answer. The revocation of privileges, added chores, stricter curfews, restrictions as to where they can go, or reduced allowances can be used to discipline a teen. Keep in mind that the discipline needs to be appropriate for the given situation.

 

-Kingdom Parenting (Connecting Principles)

Earning The Respect of Your Teenage Children By David Burrows