A race run well
The Apostle Paul writing to the Church in Corinth admonishes them this way. He says to them in 1 Corinthians 9:24 -25,“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. (ESV)
As we take a closer look at the above mentioned verses, there are four important aspects that stand out. Probably as Paul observed groups of athletes preparing for a race the following features captured his mind. The first aspect Paul is talking about is that this is a running race, the second, that there are the participants in the race, the third, is the fact that every participant needs to exercise self-control and the fourth, that there is a crown waiting at the end of this race for those who run well.
Nothing distracts an athlete who is preparing for a race. He is completely focused and his only aim is to win the race and receive the crown. In ancient times, when an athlete won a race, they were given a beautiful wreath made of leaves to celebrate their victory. However, the wreath they received would probably last only for a few days and then fade away.
If we were to observe the athletes who participate in a race we may have noticed that they wear light clothes, they often keep their hair short and the reasons for this kind of discipline is that they do not want anything to hinder them or their speed when they are in a race. They are also very selective and controlled with the kind of food they eat, so they can keep their bodies healthy and fit. They will exercise self-control in every area of their life so that they can run the race really well.
If we were to compare ourselves with this indirect representation, we will understand that each one of us are participants in this race of life. We are all running towards a goal and our reward is the crown of righteousness that the Lord has promised to all those who run and finish well. However, in order to attain this imperishable crown, we need to exercise self-control in every area of our life. This is not a compulsion, but a daily discipline and choice. We also constantly remind ourselves that whatever the world offers us will eventually fade away. Every trophy we receive in this world is only temporary, and will vanish someday but the crown the Lord assures us will last into eternity.
The question is how we can run this race well, so as to be victorious and receive the crown. We have looked in detail at various areas in which people are being enslaved. One is not in bondage only to habits like drinking, smoking etc., but is enslaved even if they are struggling in areas like controlling anger, hatred, and jealousy too. To run this race well we need to break free from all these yokes that bind us, pull us down and prevent us from fulfilling our full potential and purposes of God in our life.
How should we run this Race of Life?
Run with a Vision
Habakkuk 2:2, “And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” (ESV)
The Lord commanded the prophet Habakkuk to clearly write the vision He gave him on tablets, so that the people could read and understand it and run with the same. The vision that was planted in his mind, was to be written out so the people could comprehend the vision clearly and run with it.
Many companies have what they call a ‘vision statement’ that portrays what they would like to see happen in the future. For instance way back in 1975, when Microsoft was just launching, they had a vision statement that read like this ‘A computer on every Desk’. When they first floated the company this was not even a possibility as computers in those days were huge and usually confined to a room, the computers were also very expensive and not affordable for common man. However, we see that 44 years later, it is indeed a reality and almost every home and office have a computer or a laptop.
The vision that the Lord has given to us is that we will have eternal life and receive the unfading crown that He has in store for us and we are all running towards it. We cannot perceive this with our temporal eyes, but we run by faith because we received this vision from the Lord. We need to run with this vision.
If we study the life of Joseph in the Bible, we realize that he faced untold troubles from a very young age. The heights of it was when he is faithfully serving as a head slave in the house of Potiphar, and Potiphar’s wife starts to take notice of how handsome Joseph was, and entices him to have an affair with her. On one such day of being tempted, Joseph leaves his coat and flees from her presence. Regrettably Joseph faces prison for an offence he never committed. The only reason Joseph ran that day was because he knew that the Lord had chosen him and had great plans to honour him and with this vision so clearly etched in Joseph’s heart, he did not let anything hinder the Lord from fulfilling the same.
If we desire to effectuate the vision that the Lord has for our lives, it is necessary for us to like Joseph literally run away from all those things that would ensnare us. Let us choose to run away from hate, anger, bitterness, unholy things and anything else that would prevent us from attaining that vision.
In 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul Says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day.”(NRSV)
We often sees this verse on a grave stone, but we should truly make this verse our theme and vision. We must desire to fight the good fight of faith and not give room for the devil to trap and enslave us. Paul could boldly say, I have kept the faith and I will receive the crown of righteousness that the Lord has promised for everyone who runs and finishes well. This is the primary reason why we run with a vision.
Run with a Purpose
2 Kings 4:24, “She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Let's go. And don't slow down unless I tell you to." Don’t stop.... run....” (CEV)
This is the incident that happened in Shunem. There was a notable woman in this city who got acquainted with the prophet Elisha. Every time Elisha passed by she would invite him home for a meal. Soon she and her husband understood that Elisha was a prophet of God and wanted to honour him. So they build a small room on their terrace, furnish it and invite Elisha to stay there whenever he passed through. Elisha was so thankful to the woman, that he asked her if there was anything he could do for her in return for her kindness.
She mentioned nothing but the servant informs Elisha that the woman was childless and that her husband was old. Elisha called the woman, and promised her that the Lord would bless her with a child within a year and sure enough as the prophet spoke the woman did have a baby boy within a year.
When we honour those who serve the Lord, He will honour us and the word of the prophet of God will never fail.
However, the little boy suddenly took ill and died. The Shunamite woman, took the child laid him on Elisha’s bed in the up stair room and ran to bring the prophet. That is when she instructed her servant in 2 Kings 4:24 not to stop anywhere but rush ahead to the prophet. She was running with a purpose and her sole purpose was to bring the prophet home, so her son could be raised from the dead.
She clung to Elisha’s feet and begged him to come and raise her dead son. Elisha sent his servant ahead of him with his staff and instructed him to place it on the dead boy. However, she did not give up but begged Elisha to come with her. She refused to leave the place without the prophet. The servant rushed ahead to the room and placed the staff on the dead boy, but nothing happened. The boy remained dead. Finally Elisha reached the room and stretched himself on the boy a couple of times and the little boy was raised to life.
There was only one purpose on this Shunamite woman’s mind and that was to see her dead son raised to life. She would not go home until the prophet accompanied her, for she knew only then that her purpose of running to the prophet would be accomplished.
All of us must discern God’s purpose for our lives and run with it. However, we should never go anywhere or do anything without the Lord going along with us. Many people have ruined their lives because they chose those paths and places where the presence of the Lord cannot come. The Lord must accompany us at every lap of this race we run, only can we comply with His purposes for our life.
Paul says in 1Corinthian 9:26,“So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air;” (NRSV)
Paul explains how he runs this race Jesus set forth for him with aim and purpose. Our life should be so purposeful and different that those around us should desire to be like us and should aspire to follow the Lord Jesus.
Naomi is a fine example of a woman who though was displaced from her home and was a stranger in the land of Moab, a land filled with idolatry, she was so committed to the Lord and her life was so exemplary that her daughter-in-law Ruth said to her, “your people will be my people and your God will be my God.”Ruth1:16 and desired to be like her and follow the God she followed.
We should be those filled with such a purpose that those who relate with us would be eager to be like us and follow the Lord we serve.
Run with all your strength
Gen 19:17, “Then one of the angels said, "Run for your lives! Don't look back and don't stop in the valley. Run to the hills, so that you won't be killed." (GNB)
Lot, his wife and two daughters lived in the land of Sodom. The sin of Sodom was so great, that the Lord could bear it no longer and decided to destroy the city with fire and Sulfur. Though Lot lived in this sinful city, he remained a righteous man and God being a just God wanted to save Lot and his family from the fiery destruction. That is when the Lord sent his angels, and they literally drag Lot, his wife and daughters out of the city. The command of the angels to them was “run for your lives” or in other words run with all your strength, and run to the hills, to save yourselves from this impending danger. Sadly, however, Lot’s wife decided to look back and she turned into a pillar of salt.
We can receive encouragement and inspiration from Lot’s life to know that it is possible for us to be righteous in this unrighteous world. Lot was able to live this way at a time when the power of the Holy Spirit was not available to him, how much more we when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to lead a holy life. With God’s strength we can live a holy life in an unholy world.
Lot’s wife on the other hand is an example for us to be cautious how we live the life that the Lord has called us to. She was actually dragged out of a sinful place to go to a place of freedom, but she chose to look back. A word of caution to all of us who are saved and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to keep going strong and not give in to temptation and sin that could destroy us as it did Lot’s wife. Once the Lord has saved us from depravity and sin, we should be circumspect not to get pulled back into the same sinful habits.
Genesis 12:4, “When Abram was seventy-five years old, he started out from Haran, as the LORD had told him to do; and Lot went with him.” (GNB)
When we look at the background to this incident, we will realize where Lot actually made a wrong choice that landed him in Sodom. When God called Abraham to leave his country and his people and go to the place that he had promised, Lot also gladly accompanied him. God was blessing Lot because of Abraham and as their wealth increased there arose a misunderstanding between the herdsmen of Abraham and the herdsmen of Lot. Abraham decided it was good for Lot and him to part so they can be at peace and so Abraham gives Lot the freedom to choose from the land whichever part that he thought was best. Lot looks at all the greenery and decided to move towards Sodom. Lot’s life took turn for the worst. He slowly moves into this city and later becomes a leader in this sinful city. The Lord in His grace saved Lot and his family but unfortunately he lost his wife. What happened as a result was that his daughters did what was detestable to the Lord.
Let us not make decisions based on what our eyes see, but make right decisions by waiting on the Lord. Often the place where there is sin will look very pleasing the eyes, but we need to keep in mind that even if we are in a desert, the place of safety is always the one where the Lord is with us. We must be careful whom we associate with and those whom we are friends with. We must choose to join with those who will help us grow in the Lord and not be affiliated with those who will lead us away from the Lord.
Lot’s life also is an admonition to us that if we don’t make right associations, we not only affect ourselves but also our families and especially our children. Let us decide to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and not be entangled with the things of this world.
Isaiah 40:31 says “But those who wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”(NKJV)
When we truly wait on the Lord, He will strengthen us and help us to run this race well and strong.
Pastor F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by : Ms. Esther Collins
