2 Corinthians 3:18

 ‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord’
 DAILY READING – 1 Corinthians 7:25-40; 1 Kings 21; Amos 5

It is thrilling for athletes to win a gold medal at the Olympics. As they stand to be awarded the medals, they are the pride of their nations. They become hot news items as their faces are splashed on major news headlines. And after the games, when they return home, they are treated to a hero’s welcome. Indeed, it can be thrilling to be a winner. 

However to win a gold medal is never easy. The athletes must first go through rigorous training.

Athletes train vigorously for years in preparation for the Olympics. Though they seem to perform with effortless grace, their success is only as a result of grueling hard work. Just to run a 10-second race, a runner would train for at least four years!

Studies have shown that the average Olympian needs to train four hours a day, at least 310 days a year for six years before succeeding. The four years before an Olympics, divers probably practice each of their dives 3,000 times. A gymnastic would probably have done every flip in their gymnastics routine at least 20,000 times, and a runner may have  completed more than 240,000 laps on the tracks. Swimmers train an average of 10 miles a day, at speeds of 5 mph in the pool. Marathon runners average 160 miles a week at 10 mph. 

Getting better begins with working out every day. By 7:a.m. most athletes have done more than many people do all day. How well an athlete performs depends on how well he has trained. The better-trained athlete can generally outperform the one who did not give a serious effort to training. 

In the days of Apostle Paul, the Isthmian games in Corinth were like the Olympics of today. And this is what Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 when he said “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” 

Paul used this earthly games to demonstrate a spiritual truth. 

Indeed life is a race, and  God will award His “gold medals” to those who have run faithfully. We are all in a race of destiny.

In Genesis 1:26-28, God created man in His image and entrusted him with a glorious destiny to dominate, rule and reign on the earth. Though Adam failed, yet through the victory of Christ, we are restored to reign as the sons of God on earth. 

Our goal in this race is to be Christ-like. And for us to fully manifest as sons of God we must be guided and trained by The Holy Spirit. Because as many as are led by The Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 

2 Corinthians 3:18 says ‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord’ 

The Spirit of God trains us daily to conform to the image of Christ so as to manifest His glory. 

Through training the treasures God imbedded in us are made manifest for the world to see. The account of David in the cave of Abdullam paints a graphic picture of the benefits of training in the life of any man. We saw how David gathered riffraffs under his tutelage and they became the mighty men of David. Although, they were basically human trash, training brought out the treasure in them.  

It doesn’t matter where you  may be today, as you submit to the training of The Spirit, He will take you from a zero to a hero, from a nobody to a somebody, from a little shot to a big shot.  

There is a treasure in you. There is greatness that God has embedded within you, however, it will take The Holy Spirit for it to come into manifestation. You are to rule and reign in the midst of your enemies. You are to be the head and never the tail; above only and never beneath. You are the light to your world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. 

Especially in this year of the eagle’s flight, we have been ordained by God to soar to great heights. We are to emerge as winners in our fields of endeavors. We are to be an amazement to our world. It is God’s will to take us to the topmost top. But to get there it will not be by power or might, but by The Spirit of God. 

To be able to reign in life, we must be trained to walk in conformity with The Word  and to be led by The Spirit. This requires daily discipline in meditation in the Word and maintaining a fervent prayer altar. We must pay the required price if we are to win in this race. 

We have seen that athletes train rigorously to win a medal. In the same way we need to commit to a life of tireless spiritual exercise. More than a gold medal there is a crown of life laid up for us. And if we faint not, surely we will reap in due season.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to submit daily to the training of The Spirit, as He helps me to live in conformity with Your Word. Please grant me the grace to daily become Christ-like. By Your grace, I will surely win this race and obtain the crown, You have laid up for me in Jesus Name.  
QUOTE : 

Illuminate your world for you are a star destined to shine. WORDBITE 222.