Imagine a team of athletes are running on a track, and then one of them goes off the track, runs towards the spectators and begins to take pictures with them even though the race is not yet over. What would you think? That he or she is an unserious athlete that has no ambition to win, right? He or she would most probably not win the race and might even get disqualified.
Similarly, we as Christians are running a race.
Because we are running a race, we can’t afford to be distracted by the things of this world. Instead, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith while we run the race that has been set before us. We are to remove from our lives anything that would get in the way, especially the sin that so easily and cleverly catches us as Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us, and run this race with endurance, bearing in mind our reward, that is, the attainment of a crown that will last forever.
The reason why we do this is so that even after preaching the gospel to others, we would not be disqualified. While people of this world engage in sports to win a medal that will perish, the crown that awaits you will never rust.
Moreover, you can’t attain this crown by your own strength. It is not by your power or might, but by the Spirit of the Lord. He will help and guide you, so that you won’t make the wrong turns in this race of a lifetime (Zechariah 4:6). This is one reason out of multitudes for which Abba gave us the Holy Spirit. He serves as a guide to encourage and keep us in the right path.
Therefore, brethren do not let anything weigh you down; don’t give room for distractions and discouragement. Remember that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize. Run like that! (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
In Jude 1:24 the Bible says that God is able to keep us from stumbling or falling into sin and present us unblemished in His presence. You have to learn how to hold on to His word. The Holy Spirit is with you to help you navigate through the twists and turns of this life, but it’s difficult to know His voice without knowing the Word. This is because the Holy Spirit only speaks the Truth; Jesus is the Word that became flesh, He is also the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 1:14, 14:6). So if you don’t know the Word, you won’t know the truth. If you don’t know the truth, then you can’t know when the Spirit of Truth is leading you.
How are you running your race? Is it to win or to lose?
Please, run your race to win so that at the end you can say with a joyful heart,
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
“And now, a crown awaits me.”