Here's a warning from the Lord: "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

In spite of the privilege of God doing so much in our lives, there can be failure. You can start well and finish poorly. Saul did it, and so did Judas. A good start doesn't guarantee a good finish. When the gun goes off, you don't do one lap and say, "I'm tired, I'm going to quit." Finish the race! Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34).

Strong believers might think, "I'm strong. I don't need to trust as much, or read as much, or pray or fellowship as much as I once did. That's for the younger Christians." But "take heed lest you fall" is a timeless principle. It's in Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

I see it so often as believers get older and (dare I say) "crustier." "Oh, yeah, those young Christians, they're so excited and emotional. They carry their Bible and want to witness all the time. I used to be like that." Used to be? "Well, now I'm more mature in the Lord." Would a synonym for that be "stale"? "Stagnant"? "Ineffective"? "Not being used by God anymore"? So all you do is come and get fed, and never really exercise and give out spiritually?

That's the reason God gave us this warning through His Word, to tell us we can't be overconfident.

We're God's people. We've been set free from sin and spiritual death—that's all taken care of. How ought we to live? By glorifying God as a runner running the race, lest we become disqualified and go to a place where we're not used anymore.

The greatest place in life is to be God's instrument. When I get the chance to witness to a person one-on-one, that's even better than teaching a Bible study or doing a crusade where hundreds of people come forward. A one-on-one encounter, where I get to share about Jesus and have them ask questions, is the greatest thrill.

So I say, whatever it takes to get our attention, to get us to wake up. What good is it to "veg" through life? Wouldn't you rather serve and have the joy of Christ every day rather than sitting in the bleachers, watching the runners? Get in the race! Go the distance!