Over these past months, I’ve developed an unusual interest in athletics particularly in the track events. It’s always a joy watching Tori Bowie thrill the crowd with her long strides as she bends over the finish line. Not forgetting the master executioner, Allyson Felix as she strategically controls the pace of the 400m dash.
However, the most important thing about the track event is how it offers practical lessons about life. Life as stated in the Bible is a race.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
But like every race, there are certain rules that it plays by. For instance, when an athlete runs so well but completes the race in another’s lane, in spite of how well she ran she is disqualified.
Similarly, we are in the race of life but we all have our lanes. I run in mine, and you run in yours. That is not to say that we are absolutely independent of one another because as social beings we are interdependent.
We can think of it in terms of the organs of the body – how interconnected they are yet specialized in function. The lungs and the heart are interconnected but the lungs cannot take the role of pumping blood neither can the heart assume the role of gaseous exchange. We have unique lanes to run.
Yes, others can inspire you and cheer you on but the lane remains yours. It’s either you run in it or it lies empty.
We also need to realize that this race of life is not a competition. In a competition, there’s always a standard- your opponent. You’re a winner as long as you do better than your opponent and when your opponent has the upper hand, you’re the loser.
However, in this race of life the standard isn’t any other but Christ. That means this race of life is ran not by looking to self or others but to Christ. When you are comparing and evaluating yourself with others, you aren’t running the race. You may be running a race but it’s surely not the race of life.
Is there anything the Lord has placed in your heart? Something that seems bigger than you? Well, that’s your race. Will you run it or will you let it pass?
Restpiration 