Our Family Passage

Having a baby has really shown us a lot about ourselves. Joe and I are getting to see just what "stuff" we're made of. The demands of parenthood serve as a great excuse to slack off in many areas of our lives. "I deserve to eat this." or "I'm going to sit and watch tv today. I've earned it." Moderation flies out the window, and we get selfish with our time instead of investing it in our relationship with the Lord or in our relationship with each other.

That said, Joe and I sat by candlelight in our living room and talked about these issues. We were lead to 1 Corinthians and found a great passage which we are now working to apply to every area of our lives (with God's help). Two great versions of 1 Cor 9:24-27 are posted below:

²⁴ Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. ²⁷I 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. [NLT]

^24-25You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.

^26-27I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. [The Message]