Running Your Race of Faith
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
(Hebrews 12:1)
As I read this verse God brought my son, Nick, to mind. When Nick was in school, running was his everything. I can't help but think about how running in the physical so closely relates to our spiritual race that Paul described above.
Let me show you what I mean.
A PHYSICAL RACE
FINDING YOUR FEET TO RUN
Something I have always adored about my son is that God created him with a style that was all his own. God designed Nick to be a mid-distance runner but over the years, coaches tried to make him into two things he was not created to be; a distance runner or a sprinter. But his energy burnt out quickly and he wasn’t fast enough off the block.
Once, a trainer spent weeks trying to correct Nick’s unconventional running style. Much to everyone’s frustration, the training had the opposite effect; kind of like forcing a right-handed person to write an essay left-handed. Nick couldn’t do it. Instead of being energized to run, Nick grew exhausted from frustration. His joy had dimmed. When the coaches finally accepted that they couldn’t force Nick to be something else, his joy returned and his season turned back around.
STAY IN YOUR LANE
One of the secrets of Nick’s running success was that he refused to study the stats and video footage of his competitors. It wasn’t that Nick didn’t take racing seriously. He just had different priorities. He insisted on racing against himself by making each race better than his last, regardless of the other runners.
Like most school sports, spectators gathered around to cheer the runners on. My husband has a very deep voice that our son could easily pick out among the screaming and cheering. Nick learned to tune everything out except his dad’s voice out. The more Mike’s voice rose above the crowd the faster Nick ran.
Another secret was that Nick learned early on that the choices he made off the track could be hidden only for a while. If he chose to skip practice to hang out with his friends to eat, drink, and be merry it would reflect in his running. Maybe not right away, but it would come back to haunt him one way or another. If he wanted to stand on the platform with the ribbon around his sweaty neck, he had to put in the work and stand strong against peer pressure. If he chose to blow off a practice, he couldn’t run again until he went to his coach, admit his wrongdoing, and accept his punishment.
At the end of every track meet, we made a point of spending time encouraging Nick, regardless of his wins or losses. We wanted him to always keep in mind that although we enjoyed his races, we loved him more for the person he was becoming, not for what he did, and certainly not for the ribbons or trophies he won.
A SPIRITUAL RACE
Paul describes our Christian walk as a spiritual race and I can see so many correlations.
Track isn’t as popular as other sports and runners are often encouraged to quit and join more popular sports. Being a Christian doesn’t always make you popular either. Often, well-meaning acquaintances with their own agenda will encourage us to “relax a little” and “join in the fun for once”. It takes perseverance to stick to what we believe even if it means we have to occasionally stand alone.
It is also one of those unique sports that you run as an individual and as a team.…just like Christianity. We are responsible to make sure we are working out our own salvation (Philippians 2:12) but we are also a part of the body of Christ with an important part to play in God’s plan.
God has a race he has planned for each of us. He has given us special gifts and abilities that he hasn't given to the person beside us. That doesn’t make us better or worse than someone else but it does give us a purpose.
If we try to run a race that is outside of God’s will we will become frustrated, discouraged, and unmotivated just as my son did when his coaches tried to make him run in a way he was not created to run.
“Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?
But as it is, God arranges the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body.”
(1 Corinthians 12:14-20)
FINDING YOUR FEET
Nick’s goal for each race wasn’t to win but to be better than he was in his last race. He didn’t allow himself to get overly concerned with the other runners and their reputations.
Sister, learn from this. Please stop comparing yourself against others. They aren’t your enemy or your competition. God has called them to do something that may coincide with you but their purpose isn’t about you. You can’t focus overmuch on what others are doing for the kingdom. When you do, the enemy of your soul will always make sure that you come out less than the person you are comparing yourself to. Somehow we buy into his hype and forget that Satan is the father of all lies (John 8:44).
The fact is, everyone will have good and bad runs (praise reports and spiritual setbacks). When someone has a setback, that doesn’t make you better than them and their reports of God’s goodness don’t make them better or more valuable to God’s team than you.
We each have to stay in our lane and run the race God has set before us. As Jesus said to Peter, “Don’t worry about what I’ve asked someone else to do. It is none of your business. You keep your focus on me.” (paraphrase is mine).
LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT
Just as a runner sheds anything that could hinder their run, we must also shed what holds us back and hinders our spiritual run…sin. Wins and losses begin in our mind and an ungodly mindset can be a sneaky sin. We might not confront the sin because we are so used to thinking a certain way that we don’t recognize it as wrong.
Such as the old wives’ tales that you believed were biblical and discovered were not…replace them with God’s truth. The hurt and anger from that incident in childhood needs to be set aside. That secret sin you have been indulging in needs to be tossed off.
Because even when no one is around to see you, God sees and hears. The choices that you make will affect you and, ultimately, those around you. Disobedience (sin) can be hidden for a while but it won’t stay hidden forever. If not admitted to and repented of, you will suffer the consequences of sin as it is exposed (Luke 12:2-3).
A PACKED CROWD
We have a great cloud of witnesses (spectators) watching us from heaven and cheering us on. Some who are in the heavenly crowd rooting for you are listed in Hebrews chapter 11. These folks have been where we are, fought the same sorts of struggles, and had some of the same victories that we have. They know what it is like to step out in hope, to stretch themselves in faith, to let go of what is holding them back so that they can reach towards the purpose God has called them to.
Through the accounts found about them in the Bible, they are mentoring or coaching our race here on earth.
Most of the runners we knew had family or close friends who were former runners. These folks were able to speak into the lives of their children, grandchildren, and friends because they had been there. Never underestimate the priceless value of your testimony!
“For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.”(Romans 15:4)
TUNE IN TO HEAR WHAT MATTERS
We think we are alone in this but something else the heavenly witnesses had to work on was hearing their Father’s voice above all other voices (John 10:27). But just hearing wasn’t enough. Once heard, they had to choose to obey. Nick could hear his dad’s booming voice calling out encouragement and instruction but if he chose to ignore it, he was on his own.
Speaking of obeying, most of the coaches and trainers my son had over the years were kind and helpful. But some were impatient and pushed for their own agenda. Unfortunately, you will find that in church communities too. Some brothers and sisters (even those in leadership) will be behind you because they are genuinely happy to see how God plans to use you for His kingdom. Others will use your God-given gifts and talents for their own gain, attempting to “win” at all costs.
That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t notice or care. He has an intimate, active role in our lives. But we have free will and we live in a sinful world. God recognizes this. As He said, not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter into heaven (Matthew 7:21). There will always be wolves in sheep’s clothing who will spend hours with you, speaking into your life, flattering your ego, and giving unwise direction (Acts 20:29). But that doesn’t mean God doesn’t notice or care.
Learning to hear and then recognizing whose voice you are hearing are critical but often overlooked skills. Unfortunately, there aren’t shortcuts to gain these skills. Like building muscles, they only come about as you put in the effort. That means spending time in the Bible getting familiar with God’s way of speaking and his way of seeing people and situations.
Even if it was the only voice Nick heard, he would never have bothered to listen or obey Mike if they had not spent a great deal of time together forming a strong relationship. He wouldn’t have trusted his dad’s judgment or believed Mike had his best interests at heart.
IN CONCLUSION
Often, we think of biblical concepts as abstract and not relatable to today. As you can see from my example above, that is so not true! We just need to change our thinking from carnal to biblical. God has given us the Bible, rich in the history of His people and their victories and struggles, as our examples (1 Corinthians 10:11, 2 Timothy 3:16). If we choose not to study their lives and how God worked through them, our growth will be hindered. We will become easy prey for the wolves hidden in the crowds.
You must diligently pray to keep your focus. Satan will always send someone to take you away from your spiritual training (reading and studying the Bible, praying, praising, and being a blessing to others). If you have pushed God away, you will become easy prey for the wolves hidden in plain sight.
Learning to run the race God has placed before you is an ongoing, lifelong process. It won’t win you a popularity contest but it does gain you treasures in heaven that the things of earth could never match (Matthew 6:19-21).
Your race will not look like my race and my race will not look like your race. Each of our races requires a unique skillset (spiritual gifts and fruit) to accomplish the purpose God has created us for. We will each have our own unique style but the one thing we will have in common is our love of our heavenly father and our steadfast determination to get a big hug from Jesus at the finish line and hear, “well done, my child! I am so pleased with you!”
And isn’t that what we all want?
YOUR TURN
We can’t grow if we aren’t willing to face the truth so the following are questions I’d like you to consider. I’m not asking you to reply to these questions. I would suggest that you take them to God and ask that your spiritual eyes be opened to his truth. Then, whatever he shares with you, thank him for it, allow Him to make changes in your life, and give Him praise and glory.
Am I trying to run a race God has not placed me in?
Am I angry and frustrated because I am trying to use spiritual gifts or operate in a ministry or position that I have not been given by God?
When you think about running the race set before you, does it make you uncomfortable or excite you?
Do you find yourself running with joyful endurance or desperate fear?
