By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)
In high school our son and daughter ran track. My husband and I enjoyed going to their meets. Most track events are judged on individual performance; unless, of course, you are running a relay.
Athletes seek to improve their personal times, being sure to do their very best in any given race. Of course they hope to beat the other opponents, but even if they don’t win the race, they still take pride in knowing they’ve given it their all.
“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.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Our son was a sprinter, but his best friend was a long distance runner. Long distance running takes a lot of endurance! As the one mile race would near its end, the other teammates would gather alongside the track, shouting encouragement to the runners, spurring them on to victory. I was always amazed to see how the exhausted runners would find a sudden burst of energy to propel them towards the finish line upon hearing their teammate’s cheers of support.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul makes the analogy that living the Christian life is a lot like running a race. If we want to get the prize, we need to go into strict training and give it all we got.
“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:25)
Much like the athletes competing in a track meet, we sometimes need the encouragement of our teammates to propel us towards the finish line. The idea is not to finish ahead of everyone else; we just need to run our personal best and give it our all.
Do you see someone growing weary? Is their perseverance running low? Why not run alongside them for a while and cheer them on to victory.
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:10)
Perhaps it is you growing weary. Call out to your fellow Christians for some encouragement. Like any long distance runner, you too will find that extra burst of energy to finish your race strong.
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)
