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Feb 20, 2004
Today I was impressed to write about running
the race. How it reminded me of an
endurance race. It reminded me of a friend
who rides in endurance races for horses. My
friend once encouraged me to ride a race.
When I felt reluctant, because I felt I
could never win, he told me that he didn’t
ride the race to win, although he
would try to win. It was not about who
would come in first, but those who would
finish. Whether they had the will and the
means to finish.
I Corinthians 9:24
I believe when Paul was writing this verse
he was thinking of running a race in life to
reach the finish point. Not to be first,
but to run it as hard and straight as he
could towards his Lord. Yet he used the
human race to express how it should be run,
not to encourage coming in first as in a
human race, but to finish and cross the goal
much as in the endurance race of horses.
Whatever type of race, man needs to train
and run hard. He needs to be alert and be
in top condition, giving it everything he
has got. He needs to keep his focus on the
goal in order to finish.
The one who runs in a worldly race sees a
gold metal at the end of the race. But that
gold metal will tarnish in time. But he,
who runs an endurance race in life, runs
after a gold crown that will never tarnish,
that is eternal.
True all good athletes, having trained hard, kept
themselves
in condition and focused, run to win.
But, what of those who finish first in a
worldly race, only to have ran to receive their
medal of gold which in the end becomes
tarnished, what have they received?
Those who run in the endurance race of life,
although they have not finished first, they
have finished and have reached their goal in
life. They did not live their lives lazily,
not just telling other’s about their life,
but lived it as God intended. Training them
selves in the word of God. Working hard at
striving to live life for God and others.
All the while keeping their eyes focused on
reaching the throne of God.
Not only did the endurance rider, depend on
training him self, he depended on the horse
he would ride. Much as the Christian
depends on God to get them across the finish
line.
Although
both kinds of runners, worked,
trained, and ran hard. Experiencing Gods wonder and grace, to the
man of the world, didn’t seem to mean much.
But to the one who set out to run the length
of it, no matter whether he finish first or
last, avoiding temptation to quit and
appreciating the awesome experience of Gods
wonder and grace would see an eternal
reward. |
