The Race of Life

Image Courtesy: Yahoo! Images

If you have ever played any sports, you probably know that the big three (Baseball, Basketball, and Football) are team sports.  If the game is won or lost, it is due to the chemistry between the teammates.  Working together efficiently as a team (hence why we call them teams) is crucial for a team to do well in any of these sports.  Each person is accountable for the other members of the team.  One sport with which this does not apply is Track.  If you win a race, it is because you worked hard and finished the race.  If you lose a race, the fault lies with you alone.  Running track is an individual sport where each individual bears the responsibility for his or her performance.  

Running track is a lot like living the Christian life.  I think that is why the Bible so frequently uses the metaphor of running a race to describe how we should live.  The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Running a race is all about heading for the goal.  The goal in any race is the finish line.  Here the Apostle Paul reminds the Philippian church of this wonderful truth:  life, like a race, has a finish line.  There are going to be hills and level ground, peaks and valleys, but we can’t let that deter us.  We have to keep running, with our eyes on the prize of heaven and our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Preparing for a race takes a lot of self-control and discipline.  It is tough to get up early and run that extra mile.  It is tough to eat properly when all of your buddies are eating whatever they want; yet it must be done in order to win the race.  Again, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 

“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.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”   

While it is important to keep your body physically fit and healthy for running track, it is far more important to stay fit spiritually.  My main goals are to serve God, get to Heaven, and bring others with me.  I can’t do that if I’m spiritually unfit.  So I must refrain from the sins of the world and seek to live for God as best as I can every single day!

In every race, there is only one direction to run.  You can’t run backwards and expect to finish.  Living life is the exact same way.  The only way to finish the race of life is to live for God.  There is no other way to run. When you run a race, it can become difficult and uncomfortable depending on the conditions.  Sometimes you may feel like quitting, sitting down, or getting something to eat or drink.  However, once you cross that finish line all of the worry, stress, and discomfort fade away and all you are left with is a feeling of accomplishment.  The race of life throws many curve balls, and it can be tempting to quit.  It can be tempting to stop training and start living just like everybody else.  We can’t do that.  We must stay discipline and self-controlled.  We must keep fighting and racing to the finish line.  Once we’ve crossed the finish line, there is no greater reward.  It will all be worth it.  The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

We must all encourage one another to continue fighting the good fight, keep the faith, and bring as many others into the race of Christian life as we can.