‘Ran Long Wei Olsem’

TINGIM sapos iu stap long wanfala sports stadium fulap witim pipol wea hapi tumas. Olketa sportsman march kam long pleigraon. Olketa pipol singaot big taem olketa lukim sportsman wea olketa laekem tumas. Olketa referee stap for mek sure olketa followim olketa rul. Taem plei go ahed, hapi singaot join witim singaot bilong olketa wea feel wiki. Singaot for praisem olketa wea win hem barava big tumas!

Iu no stap long wanfala game bilong distaem, bat wanfala wea kamap samting olsem 2,000 year bifor long Isthmus long Corinth. Long hia, evri mek-tu year start kam long mek-six century B.C.E. go kasem mek-foa century C.E., datfala Isthmian Games wea garem big nem hem kamap. For planti day olketa game pullim interest bilong evriwan long Greece. Olketa game hia hem no just for savve sapos man fit or nomoa. Strong bilong olketa sportman hem olsem saen for showaot wei wea army stap redy evribit. Olketa wea win—wea olketa lovem tumas—kasem olketa kraon wea olketa wakem from olketa leaf bilong tree. Olketa kasem staka present tumas, and taon givim olketa selen wea inaf for living bilong olketa for full future.

Aposol Paul savve gud long Isthmian Games klosap long Corinth and hem markem laef bilong wanfala Christian witim wanfala sport competition. Taem hem storyim olketa wea ran, olketa man for boxing and nara sport olsem, hem iusim example wea fitim for showimaot reward wea kamaot from wei for train gud, waka hard and fasin for go ahed strong. Hem tru, olketa Christian wea hem raet go long olketa savve tu abaotem olketa game. Samfala mas stap bifor midolwan long pipol wea singaot long stadium. So olketa bae willing tumas for tinghae long olketa tokpiksa bilong Paul. Waswe long iumi tuday? Iumi tu insaed long wanfala resis—for laef olowe. Hao nao iumi kasem gud samting from story bilong Paul abaotem olketa game?

‘Tek Part Followim Olketa Rul’

Olketa samting wea man mas duim for join insaed olketa game bilong bifor hem barava strict tumas. Man for mekem announcement bae introducem evri sportsman long olketa wea lukluk and hem singaot: ‘Waswe, eniwan stap wea savve accusim disfala man long enikaen criminal fasin? Waswe, hem man for steal or wicked and no stret long laef and wei bilong hem?’ Olsem Archaeologia Graeca talem, “olketa no letem eniwan tek part wea pipol savve long hem olsem wanfala criminal, or hem [klos] relative bilong wanfala olsem.” And olketa wea brekem olketa rul bilong game bae kasem bigfala panis for tambu for tekpart.

Disfala tru samting helpem iumi for minim toktok bilong Paul: “Sapos eniwan tekpart insaed long olketa game, hem no kasem reward sapos hem no tekpart followim olketa rul.” (2 Timothy 2:5) Olsem tu, taem iumi ran long resis for laef, iumi mas duim olketa samting Jehovah talem long Bible, and live followim olketa hae mark bilong hem saed long fasin. Bat, Bible warnim iumi: “Evri feeling insaed long heart bilong man hem nogud start kam long taem hem young.” (Genesis 8:21) So, nomata iumi insaed resis finis, iumi mas careful for go ahed for tekpart followim olketa rul mekem Jehovah go ahed appruvim iumi and iumi kasem laef olowe.

Nambawan help for iumi duim diswan hem wei for lovem God. (Mark 12:29-31) Kaen love olsem bae muvim iumi for want for mekem Jehovah hapi and duim samting followim will bilong hem.—1 John 5:3.

“Aotem Evri Hevi”

Olketa wea ran long taem bifor, no garem hevi from kaleko or eni samting for karem. “Long resis, . . . olketa wea tekpart bifor naked evribit,” datfala buk The Life of the Greeks and Romans, hem sei. For no werem kaleko mekem olketa sportsman fit for muv isi and kwiktaem. No eni samting spoelem strong, olsem hevi wea man no needim. Luk olsem Paul tingim diswan taem hem raet go long olketa Hebrew Christian: “Iumi tu mas aotem evri hevi . . . , and iumi mas ran witim fasin for go ahed strong long datfala resis wea stap front long iumi.”—Hebrews 12:1.

Wanem kaen hevi savve stopem iumi long datfala resis for laef? Wanfala hem wei for barava want for hipimap olketa material samting wea iumi no needim or for trae for keepim living wea kost tumas. Samfala maet tingim wei for garem riches hem wei for garem sef living or tingim hem nao wei for kasem hapi. Diskaen moa “hevi” winim wanem fitim, maet mekem man for ran hem slow daon, gogo God no important tumas long hem. (Luke 12:16-21) Isisi datfala hope for laef olowe maet luk olsem samting wea farawe. ‘Datfala niu world bae kam samtaem long future,’ maet wanfala man tingim, ‘bat go kasem datfala taem hem gud for iumi mekius long samting wea world garem.’ (1 Timothy 6:17-19) Wei olsem for tingim olowe material samting isi tumas for pullim man from resis for laef or tu maet stopem wanfala man for startim datfala resis.

Long sermon long maunten, Jesus sei: “No eniwan savve waka for tufala masta; from hem bae heitim wanfala and lovem narawan, or hem bae stap klosap long wanfala and ting daonem narawan. Iufala kanduit slave for God and for Riches.” Then, bihaen hem talem hao Jehovah hem lukaftarem olketa need bilong olketa animal and plant and wei wea hem sei olketa man moa important winim olketa, hem givim kaonsel olsem: “So no wari and sei, ‘Wanem nao bae mifala kaikaim?’ or, ‘Wanem nao bae mifala drinkim?’ or, ‘Wanem nao bae mifala werem?’ From evri samting hia nao samting wea olketa nation lukaotem. Father bilong iufala long heven hem savve iufala needim evri samting hia. So, go ahed for lukaotem firstaem kingdom and raeteous fasin bilong hem, and iufala bae kasem olketa narafala samting hia.”—Matthew 6:24-33.

“Ran Witim Fasin for Go Ahed Strong”

Samfala resis bifor long tumas. Wanfala wea olketa kolem doʹli·khos hem samting olsem fofala kilometer. Hem bigfala test bilong strong and fasin for go ahed strong. Olketa kastom story talem hao long 328 B.C.E., wanfala sportsman wea nem bilong hem Ageas, bihaen hem winim disfala resis, hem ran gogo kasem hom taon bilong hem, Argos, for talemaot win bilong hem. Long datfala day hem ran klosap 110 kilometer!

Datfala Christian resis tu hem wanfala longfala resis wea testim fasin bilong iumi for go ahed strong. Iumi need for go ahed strong long disfala resis go kasem end for mekem Jehovah appruvim iumi and for kasem reward bilong laef olowe. Paul ran long resis long wei olsem. Klosap long end long laef bilong hem, hem fit for sei: “Mi faet long nambawan faet finis, mi ran go kasem end, mi keepim faith finis. Start kam from distaem wanfala kraon bilong raeteous fasin stap for mi.” (2 Timothy 4:7, 8) Olsem Paul, iumi mas ran “go kasem end.” Sapos fasin bilong iumi for go ahed strong hem go daon bikos datfala resis hem moa long winim wanem iumi tingse firstaem, iumi bae fail for kasem reward bilong iumi. (Hebrews 11:6) Datwan bae barava sorre samting, bikos iumi klosap tumas long datfala laen for finisim resis!

Datfala Prize

Olketa wea win long olketa sport competition long Greece bifor kasem string bilong flaoa wea luk naes wea olketa savve wakem from olketa leaf bilong olketa tree and olketa mekem luk naes witim olketa flaoa. Long Pythian Games, olketa wea win kasem wanfala kraon wea olketa wakem from laurel tree. Long Olympian Games olketa kasem kraon wea garem leaf bilong olive tree and long Isthmian Games olketa kasem kraon wea olketa wakem from pine tree. “For wekapem strong bilong olketa wea insaed competition,” wanfala man wea skulim Bible hem talem, “olketa kraon, wea prize bilong win, and olketa palm branch, stap wea olketa savve lukim taem competition go ahed, long wanfala tebol wea olketa putim long stadium. For man wea win, wei for werem datfala kraon hem wanfala mark bilong nambawan honor. Taem hem gogo bak long hom, hem kam insaed taon witim bigfala hapi long wanfala chariot.

From hem tingim diswan, Paul askem olketa wea hem raet go long olketa long Corinth: “Waswe, iufala no savve hao evriwan wea insaed long resis savve ranran, bat wanfala nomoa kasem prize? Ran long wei wea iufala savve kasem. . . . Tru nao, olketa duim diswan for kasem kraon wea savve rotten, bat iumi for kraon wea no savve rotten.” (1 Corinthians 9:24, 25; 1 Peter 1:3, 4) Hem difren evribit! No olsem olketa kraon long olketa game bifor wea isisi hem dae, datfala prize wea stap for olketa wea ran long resis for laef bae nating finis.

Abaotem disfala kraon wea moabeta, aposol Peter hem raet: “Taem chief shepherd hem showaot, iufala bae kasem kraon bilong glory wea no savve finis.” (1 Peter 5:4) Waswe, iumi savve markem eni prize wea disfala world savve offerim witim wei for kanduit dae, datfala prize bilong laef long glory long heven witim Christ?

Tuday, klosap evriwan long disfala Christian resis no olketa wea God anointim olsem olketa spiritual son bilong hem and no garem hope for stap long heven. So, olketa no ran long resis for prize bilong wei for kanduit dae. Nomata olsem, God putim wanfala barava nambawan prize front long olketa tu. Hem nao laef olowe long wei wea perfect long wanfala paradaes earth anda long Kingdom bilong heven. Nomata wanem prize wanfala Christian wea ran long resis hem hope for, hem shud ran witim strong wea big winim eni man wea ran long wanfala sports competition. Why nao olsem? Bikos datfala prize bae nating finis: “Diswan nao samting wea hemseleva promisim long iumi, laef olowe.”—1 John 2:25.

From Christian wea ran garem nambawan prize olsem front long hem, hao nao hem mas tingim olketa samting bilong disfala world wea savve switim man? Hem shud ting olsem Paul wea sei: “Mi tingim evri samting hia olsem samting nating from nambawan savve abaotem Christ Jesus Lord bilong mi. Bikos long hem mi lusim evri samting and mi tingim olketa olsem rabis samting nomoa.” Fitim diswan, Paul barava ran witim full strong! “Olketa brata, mi no tingse mi kasem diswan finis; bat wanfala samting abaotem diswan: Forgetim evri samting long bihaen and barava trae hard for kasholem olketa samting long front, mi aftarem datfala goal for kasem prize.” (Philippians 3:8, 13, 14) Taem Paul ran hem luk stret go long prize. Iumi mas olsem.

Nambawan Example for Iumi

Long olketa game bifor, olketa wea win enjoyim praise bilong planti pipol. Olketa wea savve raetem poem raet abaotem olketa, and olketa narawan mekem karving wea luk olsem olketa. Man for raetem history Věra Olivová talem hao olketa “kasem bigfala glory and enjoyim wei wea evriwan laekem olketa.” Olketa kamap olsem example tu for olketa young wan wea laek for win.

Hu nao datfala “man wea win” wea showim best example for olketa Christian? Paul talem ansa: “Iumi mas ran witim fasin for go ahed strong long datfala resis wea stap front long iumi, taem iumi lukluk gud long Chief Wan and Man wea Mekem Perfect faith bilong iumi, Jesus. From datfala hapi wea stap front long hem, hem stand strong long torture stake, no wari long shame, and hem sidaon long raet saed long throne bilong God.” (Hebrews 12:1, 2) Tru tumas, for iumi win long disfala resis for laef olowe, iumi need for lukluk gud long Nambawan Example bilong iumi, Jesus Christ. Iumi savve duim diswan thru long wei for evritaem readim olketa story bilong Gospel and ting raonem olketa wei wea iumi savve followim. Study olsem bae helpem iumi for minim hao Jesus Christ obeyim God and hao hem pruvim strong bilong faith bilong hem taem hem go ahed strong. Olsem reward for wei wea hem go ahed strong, Jehovah appruvim hem and hem kasem planti nambawan privilege tu.—Philippians 2:9-11.

Tru nao, barava spesol fasin bilong Jesus hem love bilong hem. “No eniwan hem garem love wea winim diswan, wea hem willing for lusim laef bilong hem for olketa fren bilong hem.” (John 15:13) Hem givim samfala mining wea moa deep abaotem disfala word “love” taem hem talem iumi for lovem tu olketa enemy bilong iumi. (Matthew 5:43-48) From hem lovem Dadi bilong hem long heven, Jesus kasem hapi taem hem duim will bilong Dadi bilong hem. (Psalm 40:9, 10; Proverbs 27:11) Taem iumi luk followim Jesus olsem Example for iumi and olsem datwan wea showimaot gogo for iumi long datfala hard resis for laef, diswan bae muvim iumi tu for lovem God and neiba bilong iumi and faendem trufala hapi long holy service bilong iumi. (Matthew 22:37-39; John 13:34; 1 Peter 2:21) Remember Jesus no askem samting wea hard tumas. Hem promisim iumi: “Mi garem kwaet fasin and mi hambol long heart, and iufala bae faendem samting for strongim soul bilong iufala. From yoke bilong mi hem kaenfala and lod bilong mi hem no hevi.”—Matthew 11:28-30.

Olsem Jesus, iumi mas luk stret go long datfala prize wea stap redy for evriwan wea go ahed strong go kasem end. (Matthew 24:13) Sapos iumi tek part followim olketa rul, lusim evri hevi, and sapos iumi ran witim fasin for go ahed strong, iumi savve sure iumi bae win. Datfala goal wea stap front long iumi pullim iumi for muv ahed! Hem mekem strong bilong iumi kamap niu moa bikos datfala hapi wea hem givim iumi hem wanfala hapi wea mekem road wea stap front long iumi no hard tumas for wakabaot followim.

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Datfala Christian resis hem longfala resis —hem needim fasin for go ahed strong

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No olsem olketa sportsman wea kasem kraon, olketa Christian savve luk forward long wanfala prize wea bae stap for olowe

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Datfala prize hem for evriwan wea go ahed strong go kasem end

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