The Race of Your Life -2-

3     We Don’t Set The Course

The race we run in life is marked out by God.  It is not of our design.  We know this because there are times when  we each would rather the course be laid out differently.  With far less obstacles to have to jump over on the way!

And we don’t know how long the course we are running is – that is to know how many years we have, how long our journey will be.  We have no say in this!

We don’t know how many uphills, downhills, obstacles and detours it holds.  There could be illness, unemployment, redundancy, family crisis along the way.  And if we created a course of our own choosing then none of the these things would be in its design.

We don’t get to choose the course we take.  The days I cannot see have all been planned for me!  But know this – God promises not to make it more difficult than we can handle.  And never  forget point 1.  ‘We don’t run alone!’   Remember too that after every uphill there is a downhill.  The wind may be against you for  a while but at some point you will make turn and the wind will be at your back.  The sunshine always comes after the rain, accompanied by a rainbow.

4     We Should Never Give Up

‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us’  this race of life is no 100m dash.  Paul speaks of the need for perseverance.  For determination.  The ability to keep on going and not give in.  Cos you do feel that way at times don’t you – you sometimes get to the point in certain situations and you think why bother – what the point – just give up!

5.   Always Keep Your Eyes Fixed On Jesus

Hebrews 12:2 ‘fix your eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith’  see how he did life and aspire with all there is within you to be like him.

Jesus is both the starting line and the finish line.  Life begins and ends in him.  It looked like the cross was going to be a defeat but Jesus understood better – the resurrection made it a victory.

If we run with faith the race marked out for us, if we don’t give up, never give in.  If we keep our focus on Christ in all we do we are all winners.

We don’t run alone, we don’t need any extra weight.  We don’t set the course we take.  We should never give in and we should always keep our eyes on Jesus – the beginning and the finisher of our faith.

Lets focus on him just now as we worship!

encouraging me along the way.  And fun runs really were more fun when friends took up the challenge beside me.

If we look at Hebrews 12 verse 1, Paul tells us ‘since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.’  In the previous chapter he names some of them.  Great men and woman of faith who have started and completed their race.  Paul gets us to picture an Olympic stadium and he fills the grandstand with such people as  Moses and Rahab, Gideon and Samuel.    People who have run their race well and are such an inspiration for those now making their journey.

Who are the encouragers of our faith?  Who do we visualise as our ‘great cloud of witnesses’?   who do we look to for inspiration that spurs us on our way?

It’s important to remember that you do not run alone.

Major Sheila Loman

CO 

Liverpool Birkenhead Corps UKT

The1968 Olympic Marathon Video click below!

.... As he finally crossed the finish line a cheer came from the small crowd. While competing in the marathon in Mexico City, Akhwari fell, badly cutting his knee and dislocating the joint. He continued running, finishing last among the 57 competitors who completed the race (75 had started) when there were only a few thousand people left in the stadium, and the sun had set.