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| Michele and Amanda on race day! |
The month of March has become the time of year that I ramp up my running routine. It seems like a simple enough way to exercise and, at the same time, enjoy the great outdoors. Weeks ago, I laced up my shoes and hit the pavement. As I approached mile one, the fun had gone. My body wanted to turn back and my mind agreed. Luckily, I had set a goal of running a 5K race with my friend Amanda so I chose to persevere and push through the pain.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize…” 1 Corinthians 9:24
I like prizes, so I trained harder and planned for race day. Race day came, and I was ready and excited! My personal goal was to complete the race with a faster time than I did the previous year. Preparation and good intention should be enough, right?
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.” Hebrews 12:1-2
Well, my 5K race didn’t end exactly as I had planned. I did not finish with my best personal time. I was disappointed that all my hard work had not paid off. Yet, by a miracle of grace, I still won a prize! Wow, how can that be?
In the Bible, Paul repeatedly relates our Christian journey to a race. There is a sense of urgency here that requires effort, self-discipline, and purpose in our daily lives. God desires our goals to line up with His as we allow Him to work through us. He asks us to depend on Him and trust Him when life’s path and outcomes look different than we planned. Run away from sin. Run to faithful service. He wants us to run to these things and more. Yes, this road is narrow and specific, but we are ALL invited to come along. We can’t do it alone, though. We need Jesus Christ and the support of our community of believers. There is a prize waiting for each one of us. Will you commit to the race?
“…we do it to get a prize (a crown) that will last forever.” 1 Corinthians 9:25
God is good. He invites, He accepts, He leads, He teaches, He loves, and, thankfully, He forgives. He rewards with eternal crowns even when we are undeserving and unworthy of such an honor.
Together, for the rest of our days, let’s be determined to continue this race, to persevere when feeling too tired to continue, to have faith in outcomes we don’t understand, to move when He asks, and to boldly encourage others to join in on this journey.
In the end, may we confidently be able to say:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
See you on the road,
Michele Laccabue
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