Blue Ribbon Believers

December 6

Do you ever feel that you’re being taken back to ‘square one’? You have the distinct awareness that you’ve covered the same ground before. One thing believers must keep in mind is that our God desires that we be perfected in our walk with Christ. We may content ourselves with a second place ribbon, but He wants the blue for each of us.

Consequently, He requires His people to traverse territory they’ve already covered if they have diverged from the right path, taken a wrong turn, or tarried at an inappropriate stopping point. He has told the faithful that His Word is a ‘light to their path and a lamp to their feet,’ (Psalm 119:105), and He wants them to move forward in that light.

In I Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul equates the Christian walk to a race. He points out that though many run, only one receives the prize. He is stating clearly that we are in competition with the world system, with ungodly people, and if we are to achieve mastery, we must adhere to the ground rules our Lord has given to us.

We cannot embrace the worldly ways if we are to achieve the heavenly prize. Though the course may be challenging, the brother of Jesus tells us, “Perseverance must finish its work so you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4). Jesus wants us to reach our heavenly goal in victory—not in second place.