I enjoyed showing others that the Bible compares a Christian’s life to an athletic event. We are in the race for the prize of everlasting life.​—2 Timothy 2:5; 4:7, 8.

The truth is, real meaning and happiness in life lies, not in winning athletic events, but in doing what pleases our Creator. My discussions with other athletes caused some to reexamine their goals, and several came to embrace the Bible truths that reshaped my life. Happily, a number of them have shown the same zeal in serving God as they did in athletics.

Over the years, I have been able to train many to progress in the race for life, “the real life” in God’s new world. (1 Timothy 6:19) Coaching athletes to reach their maximum requires understanding them. The coach has to help them develop their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. He needs to inspire them to carry on and reach their fullest potential.

It has surprised me to see how much a Christian has in common with an athlete, as the apostle Paul emphasized in his first letter to the Corinthians. A successful athlete stays focused on his physical training and does not simply fantasize about winning. He sets realistic goals for himself and systematically works on realizing them. If he loses sight of the focal point and stops pushing forward, it brings to nothing all the hard work he has already done. A true Christian must likewise keep focused.

A successful athlete also sticks to a regimen, remaining disciplined when it comes to his diet. It is similar with a true Christian. He doesn’t feed on immoral teachings, partaking of “the table of demons,” as the apostle Paul put it. Instead, he feeds on rich spiritual food provided by God in his Word, the Bible. (1 Corinthians 10:21) Moreover, when difficulties arise, a successful athlete stays positive. He admits his mistakes and makes corrections. “The way I am running is not uncertainly,” Paul wrote. “But I pummel my body,” he said, so as not to be disqualified.​—1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

My wife and I still enjoy keeping in good physical shape by regularly working out in a gym. Yet, we do not allow this to hinder us from serving Jehovah, who created humans so wonderfully. (Psalm 139:14) Together we are focused on reaching the prize of “the real life”​—the one “to come” in God’s new world.​—1 Timothy 4:8.

After describing the “cloud of witnesses” of pre-Christian times, the apostle Paul urged: “Let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) There is nothing more worthwhile to do than run that race. This is because its successful completion will bring all runners everlasting blessings.​—2 Timothy 4:7, 8.