The race of your Life! Part One

HEBREWS 12:1-3

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In 1968, in the Mexico summer Olympics (way before my time!!!)  I am told that there was a marathon runner from Tanzania. And in that race he stumbled and fell and pulled himself to his feet bleeding, and was able to keep moving forward and two hours after the winner crossed the finish line, this young man did too; John Stevens, stumbled, bleeding across the finish line. The media of course couldn't believe it. They said to him, “why didn't you quit? Why didn't you drop out of the race, you were bleeding, you were in severe pain, why didn't you simply drop out”?  He looked  at them and said, “my country didn't send me 7000 miles to start a race, they sent me 7000 miles to finish it”!

The apostle Paul writes in the book of Hebrews, describing the Christian life as one of a race – not a short sprint but something more resembling a marathon.  And it isn’t a case of being in it to win it, but a case of: I have started and I will finish it!  All who begin and finish the Christian journey are true winners of eternal life.

Now there are some important things to consider when we are in this, the race of your life:

1. We Don’t Run Alone

There are many in the race alongside us, ahead of us and behind us; some beginning their faith journey, some near to completing it and many brushing shoulders with us.

When I was about 10 years old and right on into my early teens, I used to run a lot.  My Granddad ran my first ever mile with me and presented me with a trophy at the completion of it.  I even entered a fun run but after completing it; I knew that I wouldn’t be entering into any Marathons!  But what I remember more than anything is that it always helped me to have someone alongside me.  I enjoyed the run far more if Granddad was there spurring me on…

Now, don’t tell anyone, but I am a bit stubborn – well a lot stubborn at times.  I’ts not always a good trait to have and I know this all too well!  But it can occasionally work for my good, especially when it comes to the area of persevering.  Not giving up on those things in life that really matter.  Perseverance requires effort and a real desire to reach your aim, your goals.  When I entered a fun run, my goal was never to win – I knew I wasn’t that fast.  My aim was to simply make it over the finish line even if I had to crawl on my hands and knees to do so!

Going back to the 1968 games in Mexico for a minute -  John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania finished his race long after most had completed theirs, showered, packed up and returned to the comfort of the Olympic Village. Bleeding and sore, stumbling in at 74^th place he finished – that is perseverance!  He did not give up.  He came 7000 miles to finish what he had begun.  As the fans were getting ready to leave the stadium in he hobbled, with 400 meters left to circle around the track. And the spectators all rose from their seats, remained fixed to their spots and roared their applause as if he were the winner.  He didn’t have to win, because he knew for whom he was running and that kept him going when all the logic in the world said quit.


We run our race one day at a time and it is God who gives us the strength to complete what we have begun.

2.    We Don’t Need Any Extra Weight

‘Let us throw of everything that hinders’ writes Paul; anything they weighs you down, stops you from running efficiently.   

In ancient Greece long distant runners often ran naked!  (now there is an image we won’t want to hold on to for very long!!)  They literally removed every last item that might somehow slow them down – no extra weight!

Today athletes at the highest level of competition will try to shed every extra ounce.  They go for the lightest of clothing and equipment available in order that they can run their absolute fastest.

The race that we run as Christians  is not a competition.    But we want to run it as best we can. 

We at times carry around with us a lot of baggage that weigh us down; difficulties of the past, fear, guilt, failure...   And we need to learn how to travel lightly, to lay aside the weight of excess baggage, that which makes the journey more difficult to travel.

If you take excess baggage on a plane you will end up paying dearly for it.  It is always best to try and rid ourselves of all that which hinders our progress, that which stops us in our tracks, prevents us from moving forward.

Paul speaks of ridding ourselves of the sin that so easily entangles.  This is the inward hindrance in life.  Not hitting the target set for us by God – not living as he desires us to live our lives. 

To run our best we don’t need any extra weight!


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.