Devotional 8 January 2026

January 08, 2026 • Steve Torres

1 Corinthians 9:7.jpg

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24–27, ESV)

Paul’s call to discipline does not stand alone. It is the conclusion of his argument about Christian freedom. Throughout the chapter, Paul insists that he possesses real and legitimate rights (1 Corinthians 9:4–12). Yet he willingly lays them aside, not because those rights are sinful, but because love calls him to something higher.

To explain this, Paul turns to the image of an athlete. Runners do not compete casually. They train, restrict themselves, and submit their bodies to discipline in order to win a prize. That prize, Paul reminds us, is perishable (1 Corinthians 9:25). Even so, athletes willingly deny themselves for it. How much more should Christians exercise self-control for an imperishable crown.

This discipline is not legalism. It is love in action. Paul does not abandon his rights because he despises them, but because he trusts God. He knows that obedience is never wasted. Scripture consistently affirms this truth. James writes, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial… he will receive the crown of life” (James 1:12). Hebrews teaches the same, declaring that God “rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Christian discipline rests on confidence in God’s faithfulness, not anxiety over loss.

Paul presses the image further. He does not run aimlessly or box the air (1 Corinthians 9:26). His life is directed, intentional, and governed by love for others and faithfulness to his calling. He disciplines his body, not out of fear of condemnation, but so that he will not be disqualified from faithful service (1 Corinthians 9:27; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:12–15).

Here Paul shows us that freedom in Christ is not the freedom to insist on our rights, but the freedom to lay them down. Love restrains itself for the good of others (1 Corinthians 8:1; Philippians 2:5–8). When we willingly limit ourselves in obedience, we are not losing anything. We are trusting the God who sees, who rewards, and who promises that faithfulness in this life will be crowned in the life to come (2 Timothy 4:7–8).