Running Your Race
I recently read an article that talked about how God has a plan for our lives. A unique plan, purpose for each of us. Not only a plan but a race for us to run. For me it was one of those slap in the face, wake up calls. Of course, not a real slap in the face! But it was a moment where God put truth before me and it stopped me in my tracks. I had heard it before, but this was a God moment, helping me to right my car that has been heading off the paved road and into the weeds.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the everyday distractions and responsibilities of this life. We get caught up in work, family, friends, and all the drama, problems, and struggles within. We get focused on what we think we need, what we want to have, what image we want to project, or how people see us. But, these are all things that do not and will not last. They are not eternal, but temporary. Here one day and gone tomorrow, yet how easily we let things like this become our whole world and focus forgetting to keep our eyes on Jesus.
Like I mentioned, my car has been heading off the paved road and into the weeds for a while. It all started with a promotion at work with a new schedule. I became so focused on work – learning the job, trying to do well, adjusting to it and a new routine. A short time later, I got another promotion – more adjusting and focus on work. It seemed I only had time for work, squeezing in family time, sleeping, and trying to relax when I had a moment. Time with God was out the window, even praying felt like something I didn’t have time to schedule. I got good at ignoring God’s pull on my heart to spend time with him, to indulge in my own fruitless efforts to be content. Each week felt like a Merry-go-round that I couldn’t get off of. This went on for months, and soon, my joy was gone. So, I am thanking God for the slap in the face, wake up call he gave me. So, let’s talk about it.
God Has a Race For You and It’s Personal
God has a race for you and me to run. The bible mentions this “race” in several places in scripture. Ultimately, this “race” is the unique plan and purpose for our lives. I think most Christians believe there is a purpose to why God has placed us on this earth – that as a collective group our purpose is to be the salt in this world and to shine the light of God’s love in this dark place. But, it’s easy to forget that we as individuals have a plan and purpose that God has designed.
Scripture shows us that God is a personal God:
Psalm 139: 13 NIV “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
Jeremiah 1:5 NIV “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Other scriptures remind us that God has a plan and purpose for our lives as individuals:
Ephesians 2:10 NIV “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. “
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
In scripture, Paul refers to this unique plan and purpose often as a “race.” We see this in 1 Corinthians 9:24 where Paul encourages the church at Corinth to do their best to fulfill God’s purposes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” God encourages the church in Hebrews 12:1 with the words, “…And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. “ And in 2 Timothy 4: 6-7, when Paul is close to the end of his life he writes, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Of course this is not a real race, this is a spiritual race run with faith and courage – a personal destiny that God has for each one of us to fulfill. Paul describes it as a race with a finish line. The ultimate goal is to run the race that God has set before us so that when we die we do so knowing we have done our best to complete this personal destiny. We want to meet the Lord in heaven and hear him say, “well done, my good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:23).”
I don’t know what your race is. Each of us have a duty to seek the Lord for ourselves and to be obedient to his leading. But don’t be fooled – knowing the direction that your “racing” in isn’t even the hard part. Staying on course may be the biggest challenge.
Weight and Sin
Let’s dig deeper into how we can stay on course and keep covering ground as we run our race. Hebrews 12:1 shows us how to do this.:
“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 (Hebrews 12:1 ESV, underline added).”
Paul clearly tells us that there are two things that can be a major problems for us – the “weights” and the “sin” in our lives.
Let’s think about the idea of the “weight and sin” in our life. Paul is clearly saying that these weights and sins will keep us from being successful in running and completing our race. The ESV translation says to “lay aside” these weights and sins. Other translations say to “ throw off (NIV)”, “strip off (NLT)”, “get rid of (NET)”, and “fling aside (WNT)”, the weights and sins in our lives. These are pretty strong statements. We need to do everything we can to free ourselves from being weighed down and ensnared in sin.
What are the “weights” and “sins” in your life? The phrase “what are the weights?” has been echoing in my mind lately. God is calling us to continually examine our lives for the weights and sins that we are allowing to slow us down or take us off course in our race. There are so many weights that we could carry in life. We all have responsibilities that we manage in life with work and family, but I don’t think that these are the “weights” Paul was referring to.
How about the weight of unforgiveness? Or the burden of guilt? What about lack of self worth, self hate, low self esteem? Are you weighed down by addiction or to the desires of your flesh? How about carrying burdens on your own shoulders instead of casting your cares on God? Are you allowing yourself to be distracted by this life and taking your eyes off Jesus? What are the weights and sins in your life? God wants us to throw off, strip off, lay aside, fling aside, and get rid of these weights and sins. We have been made free of all these weights and sins in Christ (see Romans 8:2, John 8:36, and Galations 5:1)!
Run with Endurance
Paul shares more about how we run our race in Hebrews 12:1 (ESV). Paul writes in this scripture, “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Other translations read “patience (KJV)” , “perseverance (NIV)” , and “determination (GNT).” Running our race is not easy, but it is do able. It’s going to take effort, but it is worth it!
Take some time today to ask the Lord to show you what weights and sins you have allowed in your life. What is holding you back and slowing you down on your personal race?
To help you in this journey check out the resources below:
www.comeboldly.net
One thought on “Running Your Race”
I really enjoyed this. Glad you are back on track. We can’t do anything without God in our lives. I pray faithfully now every morning which wad hard for me but we’ll worth.