Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.–Hebrews 12:1b-2
The first race I ever ran was a marathon, an incredible experience my body will never forget. I learned there are four key aspects to a race, and they all relate to our spiritual life.
We race against competition. There were thousands of runners I wanted to beat and who wanted to beat me. When we run the race for Christ, we compete against the world, the flesh, and the Devil. We race against the clock. Every mile a clock declared I was nearing the end. People say since we only go around once, live it up. Christ says since we only go around once, make it count.
We race for a prize. I received a medal for completing the marathon. As Christians, our prize is heaven and eternity with God!
We race for praise. It was awesome to have hundreds of people cheering as I crossed the finish line, but it won’t compare to hearing Christ say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Are you running the right race or the rat race? If we win the rat race, we are still a rat. The rat race gets our eyes off Christ—it is the wrong race. Run the right race—the race of Christ.
1. What race are you running?
2. Which of the three competitors do you battle most?
3. What needs to happen in your life for you to run the right race?
1 Corinthians 9:24-26; Philippians 2:16
Jesus, I want to run the right race, not the rat race. I realize that when my eyes look to anything but You, I am distracted and lose my focus. I desire to fix my eyes on You alone. Amen.