The Race

As you all know, I'm the biggest advocate of positivity and cheering for others, encouragement and pushing you to your dreams. But there's one thing I don't like about some of what's going on in our world at this time: that is receiving a prize for having accomplished nothing at all.

I was watching an episode of a tv show where a child, Kevin, wanted to compete in a triathlon of sorts at his school. He signed up and was given a list of the events and how long they were expected to take. Each child was told that even if they didn't come in first place in the first round, there were still two more rounds in which they could make up time and possibly win the entire event.

The boy went out and practiced for a week leading up to race day, gaining confidence with each practice that he would take home the precious prize given to the ones who endured until the end.

On the day of the race, he was ecstatic, pacing back and forth waiting for the starting whistle to be blown. He looked at the track where they would be running and smiled, knowing he would be the fastest. His eyes then turned toward the swimming pool where they were to swim three laps before jumping on a bicycle and riding the length of the football field and back. He knew he had it in the bag and so feeling his confidence, he looked at the other kids and smirked.

When the whistle sounded, he took off as fast as his feet would carry him, running with everything inside him toward the ribbon that was extended on the other end of the track. As he ran, he watched in horror as the other boys pulled ahead of him leaving him to finish dead last.

Upon arriving at the finish line, he looked around to see the others already taking off toward the pool to complete the second leg of the race. But something was wrong with Kevin, he was angry that he didn't finish first and actually had been the last to arrive.

The coach rushed toward him to give him a pep talk in hopes of hurrying him over to the pool. Kevin became angry, telling the coach that he'd worked hard to win the race and was mad because the others were faster. The coach explained that there were still two more legs of the event and if he would go ahead, he might be able to make up his time and win, but even if he didn't, he would still get to finish. But Kevin started to scream and walked away angry. The coach looked at the crowd, shook his head and continued to watch as the others kept on racing.

Kevin went home very upset that he lost the race. His mother found him on the couch sulking and asked what had happened. Upon hearing what he had to say, she asked him why he didn't finish the entire race. He told her that he wanted to win the first leg and when he didn't, it made him mad. She tried to her best to explain that sometimes though we are slow in the first or second part, all that matters is that you finish the whole race. Kevin wasn't taking what she said seriously and told her that if he didn't finish the first leg in first place, then he didn't want finish at all, so he quit and went home.

His mom was disappointed in him for not finishing. She explained to him that in life, there are going to be others that run faster, jump higher and swim farther than he might. But there would be things that he could do as well or maybe even better than others and he just had to find what those things were. She told him that for sure if he always quit when things got tough, he was guaranteed to never win a prize. That only the ones who endured the race and finished would get a medal or trophy.

Kevin looked up at her with disappointment on his face and told her that he wished he'd stayed to finish. She told him to enter the next one and make sure that he didn't quit until it was over.

This is the way that we are to behave when it comes to running the race of life. We have to keep going if we want to receive the crown that God has for us in Heaven.

The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, henceforth there is a crown of righteousness laid up for me". Paul goes on to say that it's not only for him but for all those who endure.

Hebrews 12:1 states: "Let us lay aside every sin and weight that clings so closely and let us run the race set before us, with endurance." This tells me that I must endure to the end and put away everything that might slow me down or even stop me from finishing.

Philippians 3:13 says that we are to, "Press on toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God". I understand this to mean that we have to keep on going until we reach the prize. We can't be like the child in the illustration above. We have to keep on going until our time is over and we obtain the prize.

Those scriptures let me know that it's not the fastest or the quickest that will win the crown, but those who hang in there, even when life is tough. I could go on to another blog from here about hanging in there when life is tough because there are so many scriptures that tell us how God is there to help us, but I won't tonight. I'll end this one here by saying that if you want the prize of seeing Jesus face to face, then you must endure to the end.

I told my friend the other day, all that I want is to see Him for myself one day. To bow at His feet and thank Him for what He did for me, to thank Him for enduring until the end. Christ could have stopped at any time on His path to death on the cross, but He didn't because of His love for us. He could have chucked it all and went back to the Father, but He ran the race that was set before Him. If He did it for me, then I will do it to see Him in the end. You can do it as well. All you need is a personal relationship with God, through His son Jesus. Accept Him today and watch your life turn around. I'm living proof that He can change anyone.

Remember to work hard and Dream Big!!

Much love,

Christy