Write Your Way Closer to Godنموونە

Run To Win the Prize

The Apostle Paul recognized the need for paying attention, for being careful, for remembering the failures of those who lived before us, and for being warned. First, he writes to the Corinthians that he is driven to run hard so that he will not be disqualified from winning his heavenly reward. Am I running in such a way as to win? Am I in strict training as an athlete, or am I running aimlessly, simply boxing the air? These are great questions to try to answer in our journals.

But Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthians continues. He reminds them that the Old Testament (Exodus–Deuteronomy) is full of people who didn’t finish well. Their stories and their consequences are written for us as a warning, he says. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor 10:12 NIV). “Be careful,” Paul says.

How do we “be careful” so we finish strong? The testimony of the Old Testament saints should cause us to take seriously the need for assessing our direction and making adjustments. The more regularly we realign ourselves, the easier it is to get back on course. I don’t just want to run hard, I want to qualify for the prize.

You may want to consider how you can build into your schedule a regular time to reassess your direction and your decisions in light of your goals. Your journal time on a chosen day of the week can be the reminder you use to take an assessment, so you can make small directional adjustments before you totally lose sight of your destination. Perhaps you see warning signs. Talk with a mentor or pastor about what the Lord has shown you.

I highly recommend taking advantage of the wealth of information contained in your journal. It remains an untapped resource unless you schedule some time to go back and reread what you’ve written during the month or over the course of the previous year. Our journals can help us to be careful, so that we run well all the way to the finish line and receive the prize.

What do you notice as you reread your previous journal entries? You might like to mark these passages of particular interest or copy important insights to the back page of your journal for easy review. Is there something that you would like to share?

Was this Plan helpful? We adapted this Plan from Journal Keeping: Writing for Spiritual Growth by Luann Budd. For more information, visit: https://www.ivpress.com/journal-keeping