The Amazing Race – I

As I welcomed the New Year, I felt a day older. I felt that I have passed yet another milestone in my life. I realized that like athletes, we all have a race to run and finish – the Race of Life.

In 2 Timothy 2:5, Apostle Paul says, "If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules." The words rang in my ear, "according to the rules."

Indeed, one should know the rules well before entering the Race of Life. Preparing for a race requires a lot of training and determination. Marathon runners do not quit during the race. In fact, the majority of runners quit before the race even begins!

Potential is not enough to run the Race of Life. It needs commitment. It takes training. It takes endurance. Christ's sacrifice on the Cross allowed us to have an eternal relationship with Father God. Our relationship with God starts with a decision, but like running a marathon, that is just the beginning.

Remember, Jesus is not like fire insurance. Pastors, camp counselors, concerned friends and church programs often place so much emphasis on salvation that everything else seems unimportant by comparison. Many people think, "I followed all the rules. I said a prayer. I'm good. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and wait for Jesus to come back."

The flaw in that approach is that it is not reflected anywhere in Scripture. Nowhere do you see Jesus tell people to just say a prayer, say you are sorry and go back to business as usual. Instead, He challenges us to leave everything behind, pick up a Cross and daily walk with Him. That is because salvation is not the finish line. That moment, while vital, is just the beginning. Salvation is a free, instant gift from God that none of us can earn. But, anyone who sincerely accepts this gift will begin a life of discipleship that requires daily effort.

Be warned, a life of discipleship – the Race of Life – is not going to be easy to finish. We will meet with many hardships, trials, and heartaches along the way. In fact, God has never told us that turning from sin and living for His glory would be a piece of cake! In fact, because it is not easy most people refuse to live for God. Jesus told us that the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction and many are those who enter by it. However, the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it (Matthew 7:13–14).

[1] Training, Commitment, Sacrifice and Endurance

Preparing for a race requires training. Athletes often have to choose going for a run over spending time with his family or friends. Reaching the finish line takes much more than a commitment. It required sacrifices. We have to make sacrifices to train ourselves properly because dedication is worthless without preparation. One cannot just wake up one day and run 26 miles. One needs to spend several months just getting in good enough shape so that he can begin his training plan.

Athletes have to look gaunt, shed weights or encumbrances as they prepare for the race. What are the weights or encumbrances in our lives? What sacrifices do we have to make as disciples of Christ? They are anything that slows us down in our Christian lives. These things might not be bad necessarily in themselves. But they sap our energy. They are dead weight upon our spirits. They hinder us in our service to Christ. They are like a pair of army boots. Now, there is nothing wrong with army boots, in and of themselves. But when they are worn in a marathon, there is something very wrong with them! These encumbrances might be money, pleasure, job, family, power, pride, or any of a number of other things. They can be anything that hinders you from living a life in which God is the supreme goal of your life. Sometimes we wonder if a particular activity is sin. I think that is the wrong question. The question we ought to be asking ourselves is "will this thing slow me down in my pursuit of God?" Think, "What is slowing you down as you pursue your heavenly crown? What is more important to you than your relationship to Jesus Christ?" That thing must be laid aside.

Remember, small choices have big consequences. Where you go to study, the job or career you choose, the financial commitments you take on, the person you decide to spend the rest of your life with, will all have an impact at some point down the line. Unfortunately, many young Christians just seem to 'drift,' not recognising that this is in itself their decision.

Take responsibility for your life and commit every decision to God, small or great. Do not make decisions simply for convenience, or financial gain, or position and status but with purity of motive. The small decisions we make today will seriously affect the rest of our lives.

[2] Be prepared for the long haul

As I have remarked earlier, this race is not a quick and easy sprint. It is a long, difficult course. We will be tempted to give up. We need determination and endurance. One sports writer described a marathon race like this: "the difference between the mile and the marathon is the difference between burning your fingers with a match and being slowly roasted over hot coals." When everything in you wants to slow down or collapse on the sidelines while you catch your breath, remember Him. The Church has always had many short–spurt Christians, but we must be those who go the distance. God is not as interested in how fast you can leave the blocks, as how faithfully and perseveringly you will continue to live for Him day in and day out. This race will require everything you have, but do not worry. His grace is sufficient to enable you to finish as a winner.

When William Wilberforce became a Christian at the age of 25, he made it his ambition in life to see the abolition of slavery. Twenty–two years later, in 1807, a Bill was passed to abolish the slavery trade. Twenty–six years after this, another Bill was passed to abolish slavery in the entire British Empire. Later that year William Wilberforce died. For 48 years, he worked tirelessly to see his dream realised.

This also reminds me of a certain person who never gave up in life though time and again it dealt him a cruel blow. This person failed in business when he was 22 and his sweetheart died when he was 26. At 27, he suffered from a nervous breakdown. He was defeated twice for a seat in the Congress – one when he was 34 and the other at 39. At 46, he ran for the Senate but was defeated. At 47, he ran for the office of Vice President but was defeated again. Finally, at the age of 51, he was elected the President of the United States. This person is none other than Abraham Lincoln.

Let me assure you, in case you have not already noticed, being a Christian is not the easy option. Most of the time we will be in the minority, we will go against popular opinion, it is not very glamorous and we will probably not get a lot of recognition – it is hard work! Prepare to be insulted, belittled, discouraged, tested and misrepresented. But we can overcome everything if we have faith and run the race the right way. Remember the words of Benjamin Disraeli, former British Prime Minister: "the secret of success is constancy of purpose."

[3] Choose the right trainer

Everybody needs a mentor. Champion athletes have good trainers, probably those who were champions themselves once. We, too, need a trainer. And, amazingly, in case you did not know, we already have a trainer! This trainer is very special. In fact, he is a world champion. He won several gold medals generations ago. Since then he has become a world–famous coach. And the most glorious thing of all is that he has hand–picked us! He was looking for us at a time when we were anything but athletes. He came over and spoke to us, and it was not long until he had convinced us that he could turn us into champion athletes. At the beginning we often tripped over our feet, and could barely finish the mile in 10 minutes. However, slowly but surely, with his patient coaching and guidance, we have improved until today we can all take part in the race. We are here today because of him. He found us, trained us, put us into the race, and helps us to finish the race we started. He always runs a few steps ahead of us, looking back and encouraging us all the way. He never leaves our side during the entire race. His presence and encouraging example have never let us down. Every time we are tempted to give up we see him running on ahead and his example and kind and loving eyes convince us to keep on going. Yes, we have the best trainer in the Universe. It is Jesus Christ Himself!

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Christ is the "author and perfecter of faith." The word author means "originator." Martin Luther translated this text as "the beginner and completer of faith." The word "perfecter" means finisher. Jesus Christ is the One Who gives us the faith to believe in the first place, and then sustains that faith every moment of our lives until we arrive in heavenly glory. This is the truth that the Apostle Paul expresses in Philippians 1:6 when he declares, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." He put us into this race, and He will see us through to the end!

Now, what is our responsibility towards our champion trainer? Hebrews 12:2 declares, "fixing our eyes on Jesus." The Greek verb is interesting. It means, "looking away from all else to Jesus." Now, this is good, sound advice. What happens if a runner fixes his eyes on the other runners, his shoelaces, or the spectators? He will slow down and lose the race. Likewise, we must take our focus off of other people, and our own sins and rivet our eyes on Jesus. If we look to other people we will find that they will let us down. If we focus primarily on our sins, we will become discouraged and feel like quitting. But as long as we are looking at Him we cannot lose! Do not think of how far you have left to go. Only think of Him! As He fills your vision, the difficulties of the race will fade into the background, and the joy of fellowship with Him will be your portion. As you keep your eyes fixed on Him, all the grace you need along the way will be supplied!

[4] Run as a Body of Christ

There are few things in this world as rewarding as pushing yourself to the limit and beyond and challenging your body and mind to go further and faster than you think they are capable of. If we settle for what we can accomplish comfortably, we will never make an impact. It is impossible to live a life dedicated to Christ without going beyond your limit. But that does not mean you are on your own.

Many people approach running as a solitary, isolated endeavor, one person versus the clock. But the ones that are the most successful have a support network. They train and compete in community. They have people in the trenches with them going through exactly what they go through. They train together, share secrets, tips and techniques. They celebrate the success of others almost as much as they do their own.

We cannot make it on our own. We all need to be close to people who will encourage and provoke us, who will stick with us even when we miss it, who will be honest with us even if it is painful, who will inspire us to dream, who can weep with us and laugh with us.

The people that become your friends now will probably be the best friends you will ever make, and they will probably, be friends for life. I know people, who chose to hang out with friends who were cynical, critical and ambitious solely for themselves. They became like them losing the zeal and sparkle that once characterized them.

Remember, your friends will help you shape your life. Choose your friends and colleagues well.

Like runners, Christians are designed for community. We are meant to be there to encourage, to lift up, to love and when necessary to correct. It is our responsibility as those that are further down the course, more prepared, better trained to help the ones behind push themselves. We are to not only trying to reach the un–reached, but to mentor the immature. Knowing how to reach the finish line means nothing if we do not share that knowledge with others. We are all working toward a common goal. Victory is so much sweeter when it comes as part of a group, a team, a body.

Remember, the Body of Christ is not confined to our comfortable building, our comfortable pews, and our comfortable circle of friends. It includes the hundreds of discontented, wounded, and dying people who pass by our comfortable church every day.

And frankly, if we ignore these people and do not keep trying to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary was in vain.

Competing in this race as a Body of Christ means finishing the race together. This is what we are called to do as disciples of Christ.

In our desire to win the race of life we ought to stop, or at least slow down long enough to help others up, to help them run the Christian race with a passion, so that many might receive their heavenly reward.

Remember, Christ did not say, "If you feel like it pick up your Cross and follow me," He said simply, "Come...follow me." Jesus did not say, "If you feel like it go and make disciples." He said "Go and make disciples." Remember, helping others come to Christ is not just something we are to do if we feel like it, it is an obligation.

It is important also to remember that we must live the faith we profess. It is just not enough to speak the words of faith. We must live them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not just one hour on Sunday mornings.

Know that in the end God is not looking for religious people. He is looking for people who have a passion for chasing after Him. God wants people who want Him, and want others to want Him, more than seeking His blessings.

Remember, we can simply choose to seek God's blessings and be happy with the things we have been blessed with; or we can say, "No God, we don't just want the blessings; we want more, we want You, and we want others to know You."

(to be continued)