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 (ESV)
Many of us are watching the Olympics this week. We cheer on our athletes as they compete for Olympic Gold. As we watch the Olympians compete in their races, we recognize that we are also running a race. The race we run is not for Olympic glory, but for eternal glory.
In our verse of the week, we are told to run with endurance the race set before us. We are to run in such a way that we finish the race. The problem is that we are often much better starters than we are finishers. How many things have you started that you did not finish?
The race you run might be a your marriage, a new career, a new found faith, or living a more healthy lifestyle. You start with much enthusiasm, but after time you grow tired and give up. But God does not want you to give up and desires for you to experience success in the race you run.
So today I offer 6 keys to finishing well in the most important races in life:
Have a vision for the prize
When an athlete runs, they run for a prize. The Olympic athlete competes for the gold. They have a vision of standing on the podium and being presented with the medal while the anthem of their country is played. That moment makes the sacrifice of the training all worth it.
How much greater is the prize for which we run:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (ESV)
The point is to know your "why?" When the difficult moment comes and you feel like giving up, know why you are running in the first place. You are not running to run. You are running to win. If we don’t remember why we run, we will give up.
Coaching
Every great athlete has a coach. It is lesser accomplished athletes who don't have a coach. There will come a time when every athlete hits a barrier that hinders their progress. They need guidance, help, and encouragement to go to the next level. The great athletes will seek that help, be open to receiving that help, and make the necessary corrections.
We all need help in the race. God never intended for us to run the race alone. But many of us are too prideful to ask for or to receive help. Where are you stumbling in your race? Have you sought the help of others? Are you willing to be vulnerable and humble?
Daily Discipline
What many of us do not see as we watch the Olympics is the daily discipline of the athletes. They don't just show up the day before the race. Early morning practices, regimented weight training, and strict diets – it takes incredible discipline to compete at the level of these athletes.
As believers we are also called to discipline ourselves. There are the daily disciplines of devotion, prayer, and journaling. There is the weekly disciplines of worship and Bible Study. Do you have daily and weekly disciplines to help you succeed in running your race?
Focus
Many of us have seen the Darth Vader stare of Michael Phelps prior to winning yet another gold medal. It is the picture of ultimate focus. I am sure he was not thinking about what he was going to have for dinner after the race. His mind was singularly focused on one thing. Winning the race!
We are not very good at living singularly focused. The challenge is for us to focus on any one moment the thing that is before us.
Not only is multi-tasking a problem, but we get mixed messages from what we consume from the culture and what we hear from God. There is much that competes with the voice of God. In Psalm 46 we are told to be still to know God. In our fast-paced world it is so hard to have the disciplined focus to be still.
Running for more than yourself
Track & Field and swimming may not be events we give much attention to other than during the Olympics. But we watch these events during the Olympics because the athletes are competing for more than themselves. They are competing for us. They are competing for their country. And more than anything else, that is why we watch.
As you run, recognize that you run for more than yourself. You are running for your family, for your friends, for brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the kingdom of God. You represent Jesus. You compete for something bigger than yourself. And when you win, heaven cheers.
Grace for the race
The final thing (the most important thing) is that there is grace for the race. It doesn't matter if you fall down. It doesn't matter if you finish last. Jesus picks you up and carries you to the finish line.
Our verse of the week points out that Jesus finished the race! The suffering that he experienced was joy, because he knew the prize and he won the prize. You were the prize and he finished the race for you.
We run in faith, knowing that with Jesus it is impossible to fail. We cannot lose the prize. The race you run is not our own. It is Jesus' race. When we feel that we can't run anymore, we will discover it no longer us who run, but Jesus running for us.
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