Based on 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New King James Version)
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Vince Lombardi once said: “I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.” For how many things do we fight for in life? There are many children and young people that start fighting very early in life, trying to stand out in school, spending long hours studying and doing homework for many years so they can get good grades, with the goal to get into a good university. And when they get into that university, the fight gets even harder, possibly spending many nights without sleeping, without having some fun, abstaining from some enjoyment and hobbies with the goal to earn that degree they want so much. And of course, when they graduate, they have only arrived to the start of a long professional career, where they have to work even harder so they can get a good job, or be able to excel and achieve the goals they have set for themselves (which could take years), and if they find the opportunities they need.
In a similar manner, there are many young people that also work very hard at a favorite sport, spending many hours of their free time doing exercise, practicing, and training to be the best, trying to produce much fruit from their natural talent. Quite possibly, they try to eat healthy, leaving aside any bad vices that can only hurt their bodies. And those that focus even more try to carefully pick their friends and relationships so that they don’t get involved with any bad influences, those that can drag them down at a given moment and ruin a stellar career quite quickly. Both the intellectual and the athlete work very hard to exceed their own expectations. And in that dedication, a special care or love is cultivated which pushes them to even make hard sacrifices with the goal to reach their dreams and goals. Many things in life demand love and passion so a person can stand out and be the best. It demands sacrifice.
The Apostle Paul speaks in the same manner about our walk with the Lord. Even more so, he uses the metaphor of a race to be able to explain the level of dedication we need to apply to something so important as a spiritual race. Running is probably the most difficult of sports because it is the one that is within most people’s reach. So, since many can do it, then special and more drastic measures need to be taken to be able to stand out. To be a competitive runner, extreme physical rigor that demands: a very strict diet, high physical demand, and even more important, a great ability of concentration, especially when doing distance running, are required.
Let’s think a bit about what it takes to run a long distance, like a marathon. The official distance for a marathon is 42.195 kilometers, or 26.219 miles. The men’s world record was set by Dennis Kimetto of Kenya. He established the record in the Berlin Marathon in 2014 with a time of 2:02:57. To be able to achieve that time, he had to keep an average speed of 20.58 kmh or 12.79 mph. He sustained an average of one kilometer in less than three minutes, or one mile in less than five minutes. Not only did he have phenomenal physical endurance, but he was also able to sustain incredible speeds for a human. Can you imagine the incredible determination and training this man had to have to be able to achieve such a record?
Now, coming back to something of more importance, especially considering that it is related to immortality, and not to the terrestrial and material (that today is, but goes away tomorrow), the writer of Hebrews taught us this: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:1-4. To be able to run as needed, we need to get rid of unnecessary weight. The runner is extremely light physically, and what they wear to run is also extremely light. We should fight for the same thing spiritually.
But each race has a goal, a focus; something that motivates us to run. The Bible teaches us this: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Our race should be for love, and nothing else. It should be about loving God back because He loved us. That should be the reason for running. For it is also written: “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:8-10.
What does loving God consist of? “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.” Deuteronomy 11:1. If we really love God, we will look to obey Him, running our race in Him with patience, knowing that someday we will see Him face-to-face. One day, we will get to the goal, if we genuinely run towards the goal. Now, are you running the race, because you love Him for what He has done for you? Lord bless! John