Running the Good Race...Winning Life's Prize!

This is a reprint of a former blog from August 2008....

My wife and I just finished our study of Philippians and I was once again reminded of “running the good race” In fact, watching the Olympics this last week has definitely reinforced that concept.

Now I, for one, am a great admirer of the young talented sprinters that compete to see who can cross the finish line in the shortest amount of time. As a young child and even into my adult years, I was always considered to be pretty fast for a “white guy with short legs.”….so I love to watch the track portion of the games. In using my keen eye of observation and listening to the commentators, I realized there are three major parts to a race….getting out of the blocks,(the start), running hard through the straight-aways (the middle) and exploding with the “kick” at the finish (the end).

Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” It is clear in these few short lines that Paul has set the tone for the race that he calls life.

And……The race begins anew each day…..

Getting out of the blocks is so important for that sets the tone for the rest of the race. For us as Christians that begins by starting the day by communicating with our Heavenly Father…we talk to Him and He, through His ordained word, talks to us. If you want to begin to run the race that presses on to the high calling that God has set before you…you’ve got to get off to a great start each day. Start your daily walk with a time of fellowship with Jesus and you will be out of the blocks with great speed, stamina and serenity.

The next portion of the race is where many falter….Running hard through the straight-aways. Its here, in the trenches, where our enemy lulls us in to thinking we can meet all the demands of home, work, church and life in general on our own. We can and should take care of our problems and only bother God when we can’t seem to handle the matter by ourselves. This kind of thinking will slow you down and cause you to lose valuable time and energy in the race to claim the prize that God has laid before each of us. God wants to be intimately involved in your life, but He will not intrude. Invite him in by talking with Him about all the hopes, dreams, mistakes, failures and everything else that affects your desire to remain close and to follow His leading in you daily activities. He is with you in all things and is cheering you on as you make the turn toward home.

And last, but surely not least is that “Exploding Kick” ….an all out sprint for the finish line and the opportunity to stand on that podium and receive you prize…for an Olympian, a gold medal….for a child of The KING…YOUR CROWN. But that winner’s podium is reserved for those that finish well. Paul says it best when he tells us to “strain forward”, to lean into the finish line of what God has set before you. Too many Christians become complacent with their past accomplishments or too saddened by past failures and they quit …..just short of God’s finish line for their life. Run to the end of the race.

Don’t let your past dictate the outcome of your race ….Run the good race and finish strong for the Lord. Others are watching and many will copy what you do ….so run hard, stay the course and strain for the prize; then you can stand proudly on the podium and hear the cheers of the heavenly throng as you receive your crown and give honor and glory and praise to Him that sits on the throne…the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

Running to win the prize,
WPQ