1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NASB20)
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air;
27 but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Paul’s words to the Corinthian church come wrapped in a metaphor they would have immediately understood. Corinth was home to the Isthmian Games—regional competitions much like the Olympics, featuring foot races, boxing, and wrestling. These games were serious business! Every competitor knew that winning required discipline, training, and a willingness to push beyond themselves to their limits.
Paul grabs that imagery and applies it to the Christian life. He doesn’t just say, “Run.” He says, Run in such a way that you may WIN!
There’s a difference between simply being in the race and actually running to win.
Are You Running or Just Hovering?
This race—this course God has set before us—is designed for movement. It demands exertion. It requires strength. It calls for effort.
In fact, in verse 24, that’s just what “run” in the original Greek means! Yes, it means to walk or run hastily, but in the wider use of the word, it means to exert oneself, to strive hard, and to spend your strength to obtain something!
And that’s where I have to ask: What have we been training for?
Have we been training to RUN, or have we become conditioned to hover?
Are we just doing enough to stay afloat? Just enough to not backslide? Just enough to honor our past but not enough to actually advance?
Running is hard. It’s exhausting. It demands training and perseverance. And let’s be real—sometimes life makes it even harder! The enemy attacks. Your body gets weak. Your circumstances bring instability. But running means pressing forward, even against contrary wind, even when opposition rises, even when you don’t feel like it!
And let’s be clear: this isn’t a casual 5K walk for charity. This is LIFE OR DEATH! HEAVEN OR HELL! Precious people are in the balance! The prize is on the line! Hearing “…well done, good and faithful servant…” is at stake!
And Paul says the key to winning is Holy Spirit-empowered self-control.
Run in Such a Way That You May Win
Paul tells us that everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things (1 Cor. 9:25). The word here literally meant to exercise self restraint (in diet & chastity).
That’s the key! If you want to win, the Holy Spirit in you has to have the right to restrain you! Specifically, your appetites and desires.
Your appetites—the things you consume. Your desires—the things you connect to.
You can either consume what feels good in the moment, or you can consume what makes you stronger for the race. You can indulge in what’s easy, or you can discipline yourself for what’s eternal.
Let’s bring this home: Perhaps what you desire isn’t what God desires for you. Maybe we’ve developed spiritual appetites and connections that God never called us to. Maybe we’ve given people a voice in our lives they weren’t meant to have. Maybe we’re consuming ideas, teachings, or relationships that are slowing us down instead of moving us forward.
Paul says the world disciplines itself for a perishable wreath—for medals, trophies, and temporary recognition. But we run for an eternal crown!
So what’s slowing you down? What’s distracting you from running your race?
Self-Control Brings Focus
Paul goes further: “I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air” (1 Cor. 9:26).
When you exercise self-control, you stop running aimlessly. You stop swinging at the air. You gain direction. You gain focus. You make impact.
Our problem hasn’t been a lack of effort—we’ve been striving. We’ve been running. But sometimes, we’ve been running in the wrong direction.
We were striving for healing.
We were striving for deliverance.
We were striving for restoration.
And now, God is restoring our aim.
We know how to run. We know how to exert. Now it’s time to run ON COURSE.
Run to Finish, Not to Be Disqualified
Paul says in verse 27: “I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”
That word discipline literally means to hit under the eye—to subdue, to master, to put under control.
Paul is saying, I will NOT let my own appetites, desires, or lack of discipline cost me my place in this race.
If disqualification wasn’t a possibility, he wouldn’t have mentioned it.
Listen, our appetites grow when we feed them. Our desires flourish when we indulge them.
But when our desire is “Jesus, YOUR course and YOUR ministry—whatever You’ve planned for me”—when our will and our body are subject to Christ—THAT is how we win.
Not just for us, but for our church. For our city. For our generation.
Run to win.
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