The Bible describes the Christian life as a race (Hebrews 12:1) and a fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).

We are called to run and fight in such a way that we win (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Ask any runner or boxer and they are both going to tell you that if your core is not strong, you will be at a strong disadvantage and will not endure the entire race or all the rounds.

Core training may not be their primary activity, but if left undone, they surely will not compete to their full potential. Their primary activity is running or fighting. But, the reason why core training is so important to runners and boxers is because your core is what keeps you upright. When you are running or boxing, one of the most important things is good posture, because poor posture will not allow you to breathe as well. You will be getting partial breaths and the air will not circulate throughout your entire body as easily. And if you can't breathe, you will not last.

It is the same way in our Christian life. Our primary activity is to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). However, if we are not strong in our core (our inner man / our spirit), we will not be able to endure doing this for the duration of life.

So, core training/strengthening our inner man is an absolute must. Like the runner and boxer, it causes us to stand upright, because it is in this training/strengthening that God confirms our right standing with Him (keeping us in an upright/righteous posture). It is here that He confirms that we stand perfect before Him with a clean conscience. It is in this that we have boldness to commune with Holy Spirit (the breath of God). It is in this place that we allow the breath of God to flow in and throughout us, giving us energy and endurance.

If you ask a runner or boxer how often they train their core, they will more than likely tell you every day. We must be strengthened in our inner man daily. We must sync up with Holy Spirit daily. We must be diligent to spend time with God daily if we want to run this race well.

God is not asking for a religious meeting. Meeting with God does not have to look a specific way. God just wants to be your priority. Prayer, music, Bible time, just sitting, singing, dancing, etc. - It's all worship to Him if He is getting undivided attention.

Make sure to strengthen your inner man today!

I am praying these Scriptures over everyone who reads this post:

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14‭-‬21 NKJV

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
1 Corinthians 9:24‭-‬27 NLT

#RunToWin