Learn from Lance

 I awakened Monday morning to the news that cycling legend Lance Armstrong has been stripped of all seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life.  It is one of the most stunning disciplines ever handed down by anybody in the world of sport.  Some, including Armstrong himself, may quibble with the allegations or the discipline meted out by the agency but the story is a powerful reminder to everyone that they must play by the rules.

The same principle may be found in the Word of God.  Paul was quite conspicuously a sports enthusiast and frequently wove sports metaphors into is writing.  This was particularly true in writing to the Corinthian church because the isthmus of Corinth was the scene of the famous Isthmian games.  The competition included horse, foot, and chariot-racing; wrestling, and boxing. The prize was a garland of pine leaves. Two sports images are played by Paul in First Corinthians 9 to stress the self discipline the Christian athlete must impose upon himself if he or she is to compete successfully in the spiritual arena of life.

The Apostle/Sportsman runs out with the language of thee runner to reinforce his point about competing appropriately.  “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 a man running aimlessly” (1 Corinthians 9: 24-26 NIV).

Paul takes a picture from the world of boxing and gets in a nice jab for the importance of self discipline in the Christian life.  “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9: 27 NIV).

Lance Armstrong is a warning to everyone competing in the race of life that no matter how successful you appear to be and what others feel you have accomplished there remain humiliating penalties for breaking the rules.  Armstrong drew a major following even among those who have no real interest in cycling because of the feel good story of his victory over cancer that started in his testicles and spread to his lungs and brain.  Nevertheless one cannot rely on past success to guarantee victory today or tomorrow.

Discipline and determination are vital parts of the discipleship process in all our lives.

This post originally appeared as a column in The Daily Press.