Growing up I was always pretty active and athletic. I loved playing sports, chasing after squirrels, biking, and so on. During gym class in school I would constantly be faster than all of my other peers, and I would perform better than nearly all of them in any sport. I had a competitive nature, and I wanted to be the best that I could and it drove me to push myself to do my best.
One of the most dreaded events of the school year for many of my classmates was “the mile”, where every student was required to run a mile around the track behind the school. But for me, I looked forward to this day. I wanted to run that mile. When the timer started I got myself up to my pace and I held it. When the other children got too tired and simply walked the rest of the way, I pushed through the side aches and fatigue and forced myself to keep running. I wanted to finish first, and I wouldn’t stop until the end.
It is this type of endurance that we are all called to have in the pursuit of perfection in our faith in Christ. Paul likened it to a race that many people run, but only one would win, and receive the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
When you run a marathon you will eventually grow tired, sore, and begin to ache. You will begin to breathe heavily and start to sweat, but if your goal is to win that race then you must push through that pain and overcome it. You must tell yourself that you are going to continue on and force your legs to keep moving you forward. The life of a Christian is a marathon that must be run, and like a side ache that pops up there will be temptations and difficulties that arise during our lives that we must push through and push aside. Our goal is to finish the race being the best that we can be for the Lord, and we must “bring our bodies into subjection” and keep ourselves from sin.
Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
As with all things we can see in the life of Jesus how we must live, and we can see how He endured through trials, temptations, and persecution, and know that we can do this too. There will be times of temptation in our lives, but it is the trying of our faith that teaches us patience (James 1:3). In the world we will suffer persecution because of our faith in Christ, but we must endure (2 Timothy 2:3.) This life is our proving ground on which we must live a life that honors the Lord, and to do it the absolute best that we can. Run that race, and run it well. Obtain that prize.
In Christ
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 