On Saying Yes and Saying No

What are you saying "yes" to? What are you saying "no" to? Paul uses the metaphor of running to challenge the church in Corinth on how to pursue Jesus, and it's something we can all learn from.

If you’ve ever trained to run a specific distance, like a 10K or a marathon, you know how strict and detailed your self-discipline must be. Everything is measured. Pace. Miles per week. Calories consumed. Hours slept. Resting heart rate. VO2 Max. Salt intake.

There’s a “strictness” about the training. 

For some of you, that sounds awesome! For others, it sounds dreadful. I’m one of those people who really likes to run. This means I have spreadsheets to track all sorts of running variables, and I love the discipline that training brings. Call me what you will.

But the metaphor really points to our pursuit of Jesus. Paul uses this metaphor to encourage the church in Corinth:

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 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. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
I Corinthians 9:23-27

Do we follow Jesus with the same intensity as our hobbies? Our interests? Our career? Our kids’ athletics? All of these things fade, but Jesus lasts for eternity. 

Here’s what is so interesting about this passage. Catch how this section of Scripture starts: “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” I love the way the Message paraphrases it: “I don’t just want to talk about it. I want to be in on it.”

The challenge of following Jesus for a long time is this: the longer you follow Jesus, the more you can find yourself talking about Him rather than following him personally. 

• Our faith can be overexposed and underdeveloped. 
• Our minds can be distracted and our hearts wander even while our mouth is moving. 
• Like an athlete, we can know what we should do but fail to do it. 

First of all, thank God that our salvation doesn’t depend on us! Jesus saved us from our sins.  It doesn’t depend on us. Jesus’ work on the cross is finished. 

And for those of us following Jesus, God calls us to self-discipline in pursuit of Him - like a runner trying to win a race. While that self-discipline isn’t complicated, it’s just not easy. 

Runners say yes to the good things:

• Runners say yes to early morning workouts.
• Runners say yes to nutrient-rich food.
• Runners say yes to coaches and teammates that will push them. 
• Runners say yes to genuine encouragement.

Runners say no to the bad things: 

• Runners say no to late nights and poor sleep.
• Runners say no to eating things that will slow them down. 
• Runners say no to arrogance that pushes good coaching away. 
• Runners say no to feel-good nonsense rooted in pride rather than truth. 

Runners like eating junk food and staying up late, just like anyone else. Runners like the snooze button. They just like the finish line more.

What does it mean to follow Jesus like a runner trying to win a race? 

Say yes to good things:

• Say yes to waking up earlier to spend time with Jesus. 
• Say yes to consuming things that will grow your faith.
• Say yes to people around you in small groups and communities that will push you forward. 
• Say yes to genuine encouragement. 

Say no to bad things:

• Say no to binging media to avoid soul-level work.
• Say no to arrogance that pushes accountability away. 
• Say no to TikTok faith that’s rooted in feelings and viral videos rather than truth. 

Of course, it’s not that some of these things aren’t tempting. Some of these things aren’t even bad on the surface level. It’s just we love Jesus more. We don’t let “good” things get in the way of God things.

I don't know about you, but I don't just want to talk about following Jesus. I want to be in on it. Because He's where the joy is.