Run Your Race

Nearing the time of his death, the Apostle Paul writes to his young apprentice, Timothy, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7).  Exactly, what race was Paul referring to? Some translations use the word 'course' instead of race. Regardless, Paul was referring to the course of life God had called him to travel. He was referring to his faith adventure and destiny on this side of heaven. Paul used this analogy to refer to the 'will of God' for his life. This racecourse in which Paul was referring obviously had a beginning and an end, and most importantly, the course was designed just for Paul.  Paul understood that his racecourse included his calling, his ministry and his life of following Christ. Furthermore, Paul understood that his course was laid out solely for him with no other runners on his course.  Therefore, only Paul could either finish or fail to finish his course.  Evidently, Paul finished, thus he writes, "I have finished the (my) race." We all have our own course to run and we should run it to win and bring glory to our God and King. 

THERE IS NO GREATER ACCOMPLISHMENT ON THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN THAN TO FINISH YOUR RACE.

In regards to our race, we must learn and be o.k. with the fact that we are not in competition with others, nor are we in competition with Satan. That's great news! God did not call others to run our course because He created a course just for them. God has a plan and His plan is custom designed. His designed course will always have the greatest impact on others for His glory although we run the course alone. Our course includes our purpose and destiny in Christ, and along the way our life choices will either determine whether we stay on course and finish the race or whether we veer off course and perhaps never finish.

We all have to choose in life whether we will run HIS race or our own; however, only HIS race counts for eternity.

The hard part is that we live in a world that competes over everything from wealth to power to influence. We are bombarded from all sides with a system of thinking and doing that just is not in agreement with God's ways. It is vitally important we learn to live and thrive in this world while never being OF THIS WORLD. For this very reason, Paul admonished the church at Rome, "DO NOT BE CONFORMED to this world,  but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2) Simply put, how can you run the race and finish if you aren't even on the right course. The world's course squeezes or conforms us into its mold. That's why until we surrender to God's course there will always be this constant pressure, unrest, dis-ease of the soul trying to make us look like, act like and run like the world; however, God does not squeeze us, but rather, He transforms us from the inside out. He changes our hearts, thus changing our desires. When our desires change then our pursuits change and at this point the old course no longer interest us because there is no capacity in us to desire it anymore. God works in us to change what we desire which results in a change in what we do  (Phil 2:13).

Then there is all that stinkin' thinkin' we must learn to rid ourselves of and it is not easy. The way we think impacts the way we act so in order for our actions to change our minds MUST BE RENEWED (renovated) by the Word of God and guess what - one hour at church every Sunday won't get it done. If we are serious about winning the battle of the mind and consequently changing the way we think and act we must feed our soul the Word of God. Man's wisdom, while it makes for good facebook fodder and certainly can be helpful, is not ALIVE and able to divide both the soul and the spirit (Heb. 4:12). The Word of God is not mere black ink on white paper - the Word of God is the life, breath, heart, mind, will, ways, and wisdom of the living God! The Word of God is supernatural just as the race we must all endeavor to run is supernatural.

Finishing the race is so important to God that the Holy Spirit inspired the writer of the book of Hebrews to pen the following instructions and encouragement for running and finishing the race. There are four keys the writer emphasizes in these passages:

"THEREFORE, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God "(Hebrews 12:1-2).

1. The reality is we are surrounded in heaven by a GREAT CLOUD of witnesses. Hebrews 11 explains that these are all the great men and women of faith that endured tremendous adversity, hardship, persecution and even death for not quiting their race of faith. This great cloud of witnesses is our inspiration to focus and finish the race God has set before us REGARDLESS of the obstacles.

2. We must lighten the load. Most serious runners do not wear cumbersome clothing but most wear very light, comfortable clothing and shoes. It is essential that we get rid of the baggage, more specifically, we need to "throw off"  EVERY WEIGHT AND SIN that clings to us.

The weight referred to here is the "weight of the world." We must learn to cast our cares on Jesus and enter into His rest. Also, we must deal with the sin(s) that cling to us or better yet, the sins WE CLING TO. Yes, that one, two, three.....You can keep those clingy sins if you like, no one will know BUT BEWARE those clingy sins will weigh you done and will WEAR YOU DOWN.

                    The sins we cling to will be the sins that keep us from finishing the race.

Some translations call these the "sins that so easily beset us". Beset means to 'be set back'. So just when you "think" your running strong, whoops you get BESET again.

GET RID OF IT AND IT WILL BESET YOU NO MORE!!!!

3. This is a race of endurance; therefore, be prepared to endure hardship, persecution, rejection,
separation (in the world but not of the world), etc... The Christian race is a lifetime of following Jesus and it is much deeper and more difficult than just going to church for one hour per week and posting the verse of the day on facebook. The race of faith requires one to BE ALL IN TO WIN or giving up will come easy. The church is losing a generation of post 18 year-olds b/c the example of Christianity  they have grown up with is weak, uncommitted, confusing and does not reconcile with the path of true discipleship or FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST. Only the sold-out ones will endure!!

4. Keep your eyes on Jesus and in order to do so we must TURN OUR EYES FROM ALL OTHERS.  Just like when I fell in love with my wife as a young college student I could not take my eyes off of her. She was and still is so beautiful. Likewise, the moment we take our eyes off of beholding His beauty, majesty, holiness, etc..... we grow cold in our faith and lose focus for finishing the race. Jesus does not just direct the way - HE IS THE WAY (John 14:6). When we FIX (means immovable) our eyes on Him there is no shadow of turning nor can we be deterred from the course regardless of the obstacles, resistance and hardships that come our way.

His grace authored our race, His grace sustains our race and His grace will empower us to finish our race !!