Imrah Ministries » Blog Archive

Dedicated to God

May15

By Nick Shelton

Every morning on my commute to school, I see Mr. Baker on his morning jog. Without fail, Mr. Baker hits the road at 6 a.m., and the marathon runner will continue to run 10 to 26 miles (16 to 42 kilometers) during the course of the next two or three hours.Whether it is raining, snowing, foggy, or 100 °F (38° C), Mr. Baker always goes for his morning run. He never skips an opportunity to run because he is a committed athlete that knows he must train his body to get it in peak shape. To me, he represents the true meaning of the word dedicated.

At church one morning (the only day Mr. Baker takes a rest from his training), I asked him why he is so dedicated. He told me that running is what he loved doing. He explained that because of his love for running, he could not imagine himself doing anything else.

I then realized that the attitude Mr. Baker has for running, is the attitude I should have with my walk with God. Being with God is what I truly love doing. And I believe God wants me to show the same self-discipline and dedication in my spiritual life.

I do not want to boast about my actions, but I want my actions to display my love and dedication to God. When others look at my life and see the measures I take toward living a righteous life, I want them to see the meaning of the word dedicated.

As you are reading this, I also encourage you to cling tightly to the Word given to us by our Father, so that our lives will show that we are “dedicated” to our Lord.

- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)

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; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, 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.