You Running YOUR Race?

Have you ever read a passage of the Bible so many times it almost loses it's impact? And then one day you read it again and wow, it hits you hard! Like a sledgehammer against a windshield? Well, it happened to me this past week with a passage that I know I must have read over 50 times. In fact, I have even taught on it and preached from it several times. But it just spoke to me yet again. So now that you're wondering what passage it is...

Hebrews 12.1-2 - '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, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.'

All these years as I read it I focused on the endurance part of the first verse - that the Christian life is like a long marathon that we run with endurance. And in order to run the race, we must get rid of all that hinders us. And that is true. But I never really noticed the last phrase of verse 1 - 'the race that is set before us'.

Now maybe you are thinking - 'so what, isn't it obvious?' Well, it wasn't so obvious for me until just recently. The point is that we are all given a race to run that is different that any one else's! We can't run our neighbor's race nor can he run ours. God will only count us faithful when we run OUR race. So it's no use to compare our race or life to someone else's; it's no use to try to copy someone else; it's no use to try to be/become someone else - to please God. It should stop us from thinking or saying - 'if only my life (or faith, walk, race, etc) were more like his / hers'.

This really encouraged me this week to run MY race well and with endurance. Not to get depressed because others might be further along in their race and also not to get prideful thinking I am further along in my race than others! The key is that I am looking at Jesus (not others) and running MY race (not others').

Just like Jesus ran His race - all the way to the Cross. Just like Paul ran his race. Just like Luther ran his race or Jonathan Edwards or William Carey or Hudson Taylor or Moody or Spurgeon or anyone else. In fact I want to say like Paul at the end of his earthly life - 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith' (2Tim 4.7). Amen.

Are you running YOUR race - the one that God has set before you? Or are you still trying to run someone else's race? Or are you trying to be someone else? Are you even in the race? ;-)