Written by Abigail Baumgartner, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister in Louisiana
“Do you remember how, on a racing-track, every competitor runs, but only one wins the prize? Well, you ought to run with your minds fixed on winning the prize! Every competitor in athletic events goes into serious training. Athletes will take tremendous pains—for a fading crown of leaves. But our contest is for an eternal crown that will never fade. I run the race then with determination. I am no shadow-boxer, I really fight! I am my body’s sternest master, for fear that when I have preached to others I should myself be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:24-27, PHILLIPS).
Growing up as an elite-level competitive swimmer, I always appreciated Paul's words to the Corinthians in all their intensity. As a swimmer, I worked hard to achieve my goals, whether moving to a better training group, reaching a time standard, or winning a race. The "run the race" metaphor Paul uses to talk about the Christian life made sense to me and drove home that need for Christians to be determined and disciplined. Today, though, as I write about Paul and "running the race," I remember how I once misunderstood this passage. Though I appreciated Paul's intensity, some messages I picked up through my childhood in competitive sports hindered me from understanding the beautiful goal of this race.
As a young swimmer, I learned I was solely responsible for my success or failure. The individual-sport-culture convinced me that if anything went wrong, I need only look in the mirror to see why. In a sense, this is true. Making a habit of missing practice, staying up too late, or eating only junk food demonstrates a lack of discipline. Still, the message I heard was that any shortcoming was unacceptable. So, when there were days when I did not sleep, eat, or train to perfection, I condemned myself just for being human. I learned that, in sports, you had to be your own savior; there was no grace, no redemption. For someone with perfectionistic tendencies, this was not a helpful message.
In fact, I struggled for years to reconcile this deeply ingrained athletic principle with what I knew about my God. From a young age, I knew that all sin separated me from God (Rom. 3:23), but that God had redeemed my life through the blood of Jesus (Rom. 3:24). I accepted that gift through baptism at 12 years old. Still, I felt a disconnect between what I'd been taught as an athlete and what I knew to be true as a Christian. Whenever I read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, I always squirmed a little; for me, it was just another call to race toward perfection by sheer force of will.
Thankfully, I found new freedom and depth in these verses during my first year of college while swimming for Louisiana State University. That year, as a major competition approached, I was overcome with fears that I had not done enough. For example…
What about that time three weeks ago when I didn't hit my paces in practice?
I shouldn't have had pizza last week.
It's 11 pm, and I'm STILL NOT ASLEEP!
Amidst this mental warfare, I cried out to God, and He drew me near, reminding me that He is "… one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph. 4:6, ESV). God reminded me that He was not just the Lord of my life in a spiritual sense, redeeming me of my sin, but Lord over all aspects of my life. He reminded me again of His power over sin and death, of how He created and saved me... did I really think He would abandon me in a race of any kind?
What I learned then—and cling to now—is that God never asked me to run toward perfection. He asked me to “throw off everything that hinders” me and run toward Him (Heb. 12:1, NIV). The race Paul talks about is not a robotic checking of boxes and the prize is not perfection. The race is about the wonderful chance to know God and make Him known—God is the purpose and the prize.
Though I retired from competitive swimming in 2021, I continue to treasure my new understanding of what matters in running any metaphorical or literal race. As a student, friend, daughter, worker, mentor, or athlete, I know the true prize and purpose of my race are found in Christ alone. I praise God for those years of swimming that taught me I cannot save myself. Now, knowing my gracious Savior, I can glorify God for the beauty of His redemption that does not stop at the water's edge but flows in, out, over, across, and through every piece of my race in unexpected, awe-inspiring ways.
How has God used pieces of your story to make scripture come alive in your life?
In what areas of your life do you need to let go of perfection and run toward God?
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