Running The Race - 5. Drinks Break

Sometimes in a race a runner has to stop and have a drink. While I don’t encourage my kids to do this in their 100m dash on sports day, it is important to keep the fluids up and make it for the long haul. I have a few tips then, for those of you at different stages of the race of life that Paul talks about in the New Testament.

Firstly, choose your stop. There are many people holding out refreshments for the runners or riders in famous races, but each runner knows what to look for and what to take. Many people will recommend different things if you are feeling tired, run down, disillusioned or feel like giving up. They might tell you to take some time out for yourself, go and be pampered, go shopping, have some fun. Its hard to keep running past these offers of refreshment, but they are not the real thing, they will never provide you with all you need to keep running.

Choose your stop wisely, if you are truly wanting to be refreshed, to be filled with the energy, peace and joy to keep going, then you need to look to your Team Captain who is there holding out what you really need. God provides all you need and you can find it best in the Bible. If you need a bit of help, look out for someone who has run the race before you, or fellow members of your team who might get together for Bible Study or a Conference or Church on Sunday. And think twice before grabbing those other things which only last for a moment.

Secondly, stop. Realise that sometimes, on huge marathons like life, you need to stop. You need to take on board some fuel, you need to get advice and encouragement from your Captain and teammates, you need to have your injuries seen to, and you need to look again at the map to plan out the next leg of your journey. We all need some down time. Time away from the noise and business of the race, to get our bearings and our blessings ;) and refocus.

And Thirdly, run! I think sometimes it is very tempting to just stay at the drinks station and keep sipping away. Especially if your injuries are great or if the pain is at the forefront of your mind. After you have taken the time to rest, refuel, receive and relax, then watch your Team Captain so you know when its time to run again. It might seem like too much to get back out there, but you have your team behind you, and your Team Captain there beside you all the way. If He says it’s time to get up, then do it, and take it one day at a time, one leg at a time, one step at a time.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let
us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and
let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” Hebrews 12:1-2

Running The Race - 4. The Crowd

What do you hear? Are you in quiet surrounds right now? Are you reading this on your iphone with lots of people bustling around and the sound of people talking and laughing and kids playing?

Maybe you are at home with a hot cuppa. Wherever you are, I want you to listen a bit closer. Just like during a race, you have to listen closely to hear specific voices, specific words or phrases called out from the crowd. They could be cheers of encouragement, pieces of advice or not so positive remarks.

When you are running your Christian race, what do you hear? Who do you look for in the crowd? I pray that you see friends in the crowd, that your family members cheer you on, that your church family inspires and encourages you from the sidelines. But what do you do if that is not the case? Do you feel like you are running this race alone? Or even worse, are the people in your life critical of the path you have set out on? Who do you see in the crowd and what do you hear?

I am training my son not to look for me in the crowd during his running races, but to keep his eyes on the finish line. Otherwise he slows down, loses track and even strays off course. We do draw strength and encouragement from those around us, but our focus and goal should always remain at the finish line. The Bible gives us some great encouragement to help us with this task.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith..." Heb 12:1-2.

Our main goal is to fix our eyes on Jesus. Then we hear the words of truth, and we are on the true path. He called us to begin this race of faith, and he will be there at the end, when faith will no longer be required because we will see Him face to face. The 'great cloud of witnesses' that inspire us are the heroes of faith described in Hebrews 11. Since so many have gone before us, and run this race, when we remember them, and focus on Jesus who is the Saviour of us all, we can get a second wind and run all the more.

So if you have slowed down, or lost track, or been distracted by the crowd, look up. Fix your eyes on Jesus, read Hebrews 11 and remember those that have gone before us. And while you are running, be one of those witnesses for someone else. Be an encouragement. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds...let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Heb 10:23-34.

I pray that as you hold this in your hand, as you read your Bible, as you meet with other Christians, that you would be encouraged, and encourage one another to fix your eyes on Jesus, and that you would be equipped to run the race, and to be one of the witnesses that encourages someone else.

Running The Race - 3. Interrupted

Little ones start off so eagerly in the school cross-country run. They are all smiles as they do their warm-ups and line up at the starting line. In an attempt to be a cool and supportive mother I also line up and take my place with the runners. We don't get very far unfortunately.

Not too far into the race I end up with a growing band of girls who have stopped running, and are barely managing a brisk walk. There are stitches, a grazed knee, tired muscles, and weakened wills. They started with good intentions but something happened which stopped them and made them feel like they couldn't go on.

You started the year with good intentions. You wanted to be more devoted to God, maybe to attend church more or start going to a Bible study. You wanted to spend more time in prayer, or more time reading the Bible, you wanted to learn scripture to spur yourself and others on in the race of life. But you got interrupted.Interrupted by stress, busyness, heartache, contentedness, boredom, depression, work, ministry, friends, family.

Paul encourages Christians with these words, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you”. (Galatians 5:7-8)

No matter where the distraction comes from, we need to recognize that it is distracting us from running our race and deal with it accordingly. Whether we can change our circumstances or just change our perspective, we need to refocus our gaze on the one who calls us, and keeps calling us to look to Him in the midst of difficult or distracting circumstances.

Paul precedes that verse with this one, “…the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6) Even though our faith may not fail, it is only when we keep our eyes on Him that we are in step with Him and expressing our faith through love. Usually it is our response to those people or circumstances that cut in on us that show us how much our eyes and our hearts have strayed. Take for example your response to someone cutting in on you in traffic or in the supermarket line.

Do you want to get back in the race? Just fix your eyes on Jesus, submit yourself to Him, obey His commands, and let your faith be expressed in love towards Him and others. And next time we get interrupted, I pray that both you and I will see a different response thanks to His Spirit at work in us when our eyes are on Him.

Running The Race - 2. Ready Set Go

Whether you are a seasoned runner or a mum getting ready to heard the kids to the car in the pouring rain, you will have heard the starter making three calls before the runners take one step –Ready, Set, Go!

So what do we need to do as we prepare for and seek to “run the race marked out for us”? (Heb 12:1)

1. Get Ready
1 Peter 1:13 gives us a great picture of what is necessary and starts with the age old phrase ‘gird up your loins’ which might translate ‘hitch up your skirt’. The NIV reads “prepare your minds for action” and encourages us to remove anything that will hinder us from staying on course or completing the journey that lies ahead of us.

Getting ready ensures that we have everything we need to complete the task, finish the journey, run the race. We might need to let some things go, gain self control (v13), and take up some essential items so that we are ready to go.

Having our minds ready for action doesn’t mean just being prepared to move ahead, but being equipped for a fight if need be. It means keeping an eye out for potholes or wayward runners and having all we need to ensure our course stays true.

Are you ready? Are you holding on to something like unforgiveness or bitterness that is going to slow you down or take you off course? Are you busy comparing yourself to others or afraid of what they might think? Have you been filling your mind with your Heavenly Coach’s words to bring back to memory when the course gets tough?

2. Get Set

With our minds ready for action, its time to knuckle down and focus. 1 Peter 1:13 goes on to say “set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Remember Philippians 3:13-14? We are to have the prize, the finish at the forefront of our minds.

Where are you going? What are you trying to achieve? It’s good to have goals in life, but our ultimate goal is the life that we have a taste of now and get to experience fully when our time here on earth is up. Have the finish line at the forefront of your mind. Let every step you take and decision you make be made in the light of what is to come, not just what you experience in this moment. Jesus Christ is God, and He is coming back very soon. He has a plan for you and He wants you to join Him in sharing that good news with others.

3. Go!

So with the finish in mind, and everything you need for the journey, Go! Run! Finish!

Our heavenly prize has already been won for us. By the blood of Jesus we are counted as winners, but we still run with all our might because we have been called by our heavenly Coach to finish. We strive ‘not to confirm to our selfish desires, but to be holy in all that we do, because He who called us is holy.’ (1 Peter 1:15)

So we obey the truth that we have received, we seek to honour Him and please Him, and as His Spirit works in us and we have that love for others, we seek to follow the greatest command, repeated here “Love one another deeply, from the heart” (vs 22)

There are many signs of a race run for Christ, but the clearest testimony will be that of love. Jesus said “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35) And Jesus’ final command to His disciples is also to us: In your going, make disciples. (Matt 28:19)

As we run after Christ, we are to encourage others to follow too.

Are you ready to run?

Running The Race

This is the first of 10 articles Published in ConXion magazine 2011.

Happy New Year! Have you started the year running? I’m not talking about physical exercise, so breathe easy, grab a cuppa and read on!

I started the year running, but I feel like I am already behind as I attempt to complete things I didn’t finish last year and catch up on my list for this year which is getting longer by the day. As I think about what I want to accomplish this year my shoulders sag slightly, my head dips and my pace slows. This isn’t the way it’s meant to be!

So today I am going to stop.

I’m already late, already behind, already burdened by the weight of what has to be done. But when I think and pray about what it is that God would like to accomplish through me there is a gleam in my eye, a lifting of my chin and spring in my step.

The analogy of running a race is used many times in the New Testament to describe our journey as Christians so this year in ConXion I’d like to ‘run’ you through some of those likenesses and encourage you in the journey that God has for you this year.

Instead of prioritizing my time and energy to achieve all of my goals for the year, I remember Philippians 3 where Paul writes about the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord, with the goal that we may gain Christ, and be found in Him, having the righteousness not of ourselves but from God, through Christ. I love his quote: “Forgetting what is behind and straining to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

With the goal of truly knowing Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and having our strength, our security and our sanity in Him, we will accomplish what He has planned and will find that our feet and our hearts are lighter as we run the race he has marked out for us.

Are you ready to run?