Running the Christian Race for the Prize

GUEST POST

My dear friend and fellow worker in Christ Jesus, who chose to remain anonymous, wrote the post below. She is a beautiful woman of God, a wife, and a mother who has an insatiable desire for the things of God. I bless God for her life.

The Christian Race

Have you ever seen an athlete begin a race without understanding how to make it to the finish line or knowing the prize to be awarded at the end?

 

In Hebrews 12:1, Apostle Paul tells us that a race has been set before us, and in 1 Corinthians 9:24, he instructs us to run in such a way as to obtain the prize.

 

Our race begins at the moment of salvation when we declare with our mouths that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

 

The dos and don’ts of running the Christian race

 

The dos of running the Christian race

In Hebrews 12:1, Paul gives us two important insights about this race that God has set before us.

1. Eliminate whatever will hinder our race.  “Let us lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us.”
2. Run our race with endurance. “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”

 

Therefore, it is our responsibility as believers to:

• Lay aside every weight, burden, or encumbrance that will take our attention from Jesus.
• Lay aside every sin which surrounds us.
• Daily run with endurance and patience faithfully obeying God in good times, trials, tragedies, sufferings, or whatever may happen (James 1:2, Romans 8:35-37).
• Daily keep our eyes on Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith. We do this when we seek to live our lives to please Christ. In Colossians 3:1-2, we are instructed by Paul to seek those things above (heavenly) where Christ is seated and set our affections (direct and focus our minds) on things above, not on things on earth. For those who set their mind on earthly things, their end is destruction (Philippians 3:18-19).

 

The don’ts of running the Christian race

Sadly, without being aware, many believers do not have their eyes fixed on Jesus and are no longer running the race God has set before them.

 

We still attend Church, but it has become a ritual. As praise and worship is going on, we stand as spectators, cold and unresponsive. We are more passionate about a sports game than joining in excitement to praise with careless abandon the One who has redeemed us from eternal damnation (Psalm 122:1, Psalm 92:1, Psalm 107:32).

 

We have time to do everything from entertaining ourselves to spending copious amounts of time on the internet. But we don’t find time to feed our spirit with the Word of God, nor do we spend time in prayer to receive from God spiritual strength to handle our daily challenges (Joshua 1:8, James 1:21, Colossians 3:16).

 

In the end, we live our lives gratifying the flesh. We speak, act, and respond to situations just like the world!

 

Running the Christian race on the narrow way.

We cannot run our race on the broad way, leading to destruction and expecting a different outcome. In Matthew 7:13, Jesus tells us where each way leads to. God has appointed a race for His children that we must run on the narrow way that leads to life.

 

Jesus tells us plainly that the gate will be NARROW. That is why Paul in Hebrews 12:1 instructs us to lay aside every weight and sin. There is simply no room to accommodate them on the narrow way. Jesus also plainly states that the way that leads to life will be DIFFICULT. Again, Paul in Hebrews 12:1-2 advises us that we need endurance as we set our minds to live to please Christ.

 

The prize of running the Christian race

The end price is to hear the words of Jesus found in Matthew 25:21, “well done.”

 

Our prize is not perishable. It is not subject to corruption or decay (1 Corinthians 9:25, 2 Timothy 4:7-8).

 

In the book of Revelation, Jesus promises great and amazing eternal rewards to everyone who will be victorious to the very end. (See Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26-28, Revelation 3:5, 12, 21.) We need to meditate on these promises and follow the example of Jesus, who, “for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross disregarding its shame and is now sitting at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2b).

 

Therefore, let us encourage one another to run this race.

 

Finishing the Christian race

We can finish this race!

 

Paul stated in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’’ The strength to run our race comes from God and not us (Hebrews 4:16). So in His power, start running daily with endurance. Lay aside every weight and sin that surrounds you.  Determination to live to please God and finish the race that He has appointed for you.

 

If anyone has dropped out or is lagging in the race, it is never too late to get back on the way that leads to life. And remember to encourage as many believers as you can along the way.

 

Except where indicated, Scriptures are taken from the NIV.

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