August 14, 2026
Run the Race to Win
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
Lots of people today are racing. They are chasing down a career or running after the latest and greatest stuff. Others are chasing down anything that will help their children succeed—at the cost of their spiritual well-being. When the world behaves this way, it’s not surprising, but when Christians do it, it’s a tragedy.
Christians are in a race, too, but rather than chasing personal glory, we are to seek God’s glory through humble stewardship. That’s how Paul described his life and ministry. He said he was willing to go to any length, go any distance, and endure any hardship. He was willing to persevere to win people to Christ. Paul understood that all that matters will be what we did for Christ. He was in the right race, and he ran the race to get the prize.
We, too, are in this race, but unlike this world’s races, we do not compete against one another. We are competing against obstacles, against temptations that we face, and against the enemy of our souls. God does not just want one of His children to be a winner; He wants all of His children to be winners. Every single one. So, let God take hold of your race. It is the longing of His heart.
Paul exhorts all believers to run the race well. How? By limiting our liberty through self-control. Why? Because believers in Jesus do not run for short-lived fame or a short-lived cheer. We run to receive an imperishable crown and the life that is truly immortal. To live a life above mediocrity, we must be sacrificial givers of everything—we must exercise spiritual discipline. Paul gives us the example of an athlete, who knows he must restrain his liberty in order to win. He disciplines his sleep, diet, and exercise. An athlete cannot afford to live by his feelings. So if you are feeling that you cannot run the race anymore or that you’ve been disqualified from the crown of righteousness, I want you to know that’s a lie from the devil. You can get back into the training program. Get back in the race because God wants you to win. He wants you to be victorious in His Son.
Prayer: Jesus, give me the strength, will, and focus to run after You. I know You are the one who sustains me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“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” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Healthy Living in a Sick World, Stewardship Is Gospel Justice: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
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