Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step….

1 Corinthians 9:24-26a NLT

The revelation of this passage of Scripture makes me think about Olympic track events. It is a great honor and takes great discipline in training to qualify to run in one of these important races. These athletes don’t just do all of this to run….they run to win!

I love the life lessons our children can learn from participating in athletics. Unfortunately, our culture has dictated that if you want your kids to be successful in sports, you need to be all in, you need to be totally committed and disciplined to the one sport. In itself, this is not a bad thing, but it often dominates and prioritizes all activities of life.

I watch as parents have no problem being dedicated to this to see their child succeed in a sport, but where is the commitment and discipline for the spiritual race? Where is the priority and the discipline to say my kids are going to be in Sunday school, they are going to be in Youth group and Wednesday night kids club? Many parents wouldn’t dream of letting a kid skip a sports practice because they felt tired, but its ok if they don’t feel like getting up to go to church. We want to see our kids who participate in sports, go to the next level, why do we not want to see the same thing in their Christian race. What about the adults, do we have this kind of commitment to the Christian race?

Just like those talented Olympic athletes, if we want to be committed to win in this Christian race we have do at least three preparatory things. First, sign up to be a participator! There is a big difference in those who come to spectate and those who come to participate. Make a decision to be “ALL IN” and give it your passion and your priority.

Secondly, don’t forget to go back to the basics! The first thing an athlete is going to do at the beginning of the season is some core strengthening. They don’t just show up on the day of the race and jump in the starting blocks. There are so many people who are running their Christian race this way. They just show up, no preparation, and then wonder why they aren’t winning. Winning requires some discipline!

• Discipline in prayer
• Discipline in the Word
• Discipline of praise/worship/thanksgiving (both privately and publicly)

Lastly, winning requires preparing for the next. If you read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, you will see that there are different kinds of spiritual gifts. We need to nurture and use those gifts and talents that the Lord has given us. God did not call us to the Kingdom to just occupy a pew until He returns to get us, He prepared each of us for unique services. The sad reality is, too many of have left their gifts unopened! Others are simply too busy to make a commitment to use their talents in Kingdom work.

After looking at these 3 steps of preparation, I would like to apply them to 4 different types of races.

1. The 100-meter race

This is the shortest race that is run in competition. One of the most important parts in this race is the starting blocks. How well you come out of those blocks will often determine who will cross that line first.

I don’t care if you are just now deciding to join the Christian race or if you have been in it a long time and are ready to move to a new level, how you start is important. If you want to be successful, you have to commit to some things just like an athlete does. Get back to those basics and make a commitment to start strong!

2. Hurdles

The second kind of race is the hurdles. Even if you don’t feel equipped to run a race that includes hurdles in the natural, I am here to tell you they will show up in your Christian race. The first step in successfully overcoming hurdles, is knowing they are coming. The Bible warns us several times to be strong in the Lord and prepare for the strategies of the devil (Eph. 6:10-13). When you know these tactics they become like the hurdles in a race and you can stay on pace and glide right over them knowing, “Greater is He who is in you, than He who is in the world!” (1 John 4:4)

3. The Marathon

This race isn’t as much about how you start, but how you finish. Endurance is needed in the Christian race, especially when you are running a marathon. These races require much perseverance.  The ability to push through the pain and fatigue when you feel like your lungs are on fire and your legs cannot move another step.  I like the way the Message Bible describes perseverance in a long distance race. 

Do you see what this means — all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running — and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. 2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed…

Hebrews 12:1-2a The Message Bible

We are reminded to keep our eyes on Jesus since He demonstrated for us not only how to start a race, but how to finish it!

4. The Relay Race

The thing that determines success in this race is how well and seamlessly we pass the baton. This too is an important part of the Christian race. Israel was instructed to diligently teach their children what the Lord instructed (Deut. 6:4-9). This command is important for us today; it is a type of passing the baton. We should be diligently teaching the things of God to our children and our grandchildren, and be a mentor to those who are new and maturing in their faith.

Regardless of what version of the race you are in, the 100 meter, the hurdles, the marathon, or a relay, make a decision to finish well. The Scripture etched on my headstone, where I will be laid to rest someday, should the Lord tarry reads, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). This is what I want to be said of my life.

How will you finish?

Many think that nothing good can come from their life, or their efforts for the Kingdom of God. We often compare our lives to our perception of another life and feel we just don’t measure up. Maybe it is because of our past mistakes, or where we grew up, or even the family we came from. Can I remind you today that none of these things define you!

Sometimes our perception deceives us. Many didn’t expect the Savior to come packaged as a baby in a manger. Look at this example in Scripture.

John 1:45-51 NLT

45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. 47 As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” 48 “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” 49 Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

I love this story! Nathanael had a perception, or we might even say a prejudice too, he said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” The convincing factor for Nathanael was the way that Jesus acknowledged him when they met the first time. He already knew him because He had seen him under the fig tree.

Have you ever pondered this statement? It obviously meant something to Nathanael. Some commentators suspect that it is possible it was under the shade of a fig tree where he would spend time in meditation and prayer. Perhaps this is why Jesus chose this activity to let him know that He saw him there.

We shouldn’t be surprised by this statement; we know the Bible tells us that He formed us in our mother’s womb. He knew us and saw all the days of our lives before we were ever born! (Ps 139: 13-16)

What is even more amazing is the promise Jesus gave to Nathanael because he shifted his perception and believed. When he realized Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus told him he would see even greater things!

This is the thought I want to leave you with today; do you need to shift your perception and believe you can fulfill the destiny He saw when you were being formed in your mother’s womb? Remember, your past mistakes, or where you grew up, or even the family you came from doesn’t define you, He already did! You just need to walk it out! Be who He called you to be! Know that He sees you under your figurative fig tree, He sees the things we think little of. He sees us in our private devotional time, He hears our prayers, knows our thoughts, and wants us to see the greater things!

Have you ever wondered what Jesus wrote in the dirt that day when the scribes and Pharisees brought before Him the woman caught in adultery? (John 8:3-11) The Bible tells us that they were testing Jesus. In fact, some versions say they were tricking Him to find accusations against Him. I find Jesus’ response to their tactics so interesting. He didn’t engage with a war of words; He simply stooped down and began to write something with his finger on the ground.

I can’t help but reflect on this story as I consider the war of words, the accusations, and even the trickery we are bombarded with every day. There are real issues to be solved, there are extreme opposing views on how our country should be led and should respond to crisis, and even more importantly, there is a war going on for the souls of countless men and women.

In Matthew 24, Jesus warned His disciples about deception that would be prevalent in the last days. As Christ-followers, we must be alert and aware of the tricks and tactics and allow the Holy Spirit who lives in us to provide much needed discernment for the times we are living in.

Deception often comes with partial truths. That is exactly the way that Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. He quoted Scripture when he tempted Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple! (Matthew 4:1-11)

This is the kind of deception that is so prevalent today. We hear partial truths in reporting that strikes fear and sells agendas and programing. We are bombarded with partial truths about key issues, candidates, positions, and parties that has the sole purpose of destruction and trickery to deceive many to support plans that individuals otherwise would never uphold.

What is the solution? It certainly is not simple, but if you are a Christian, you find sound instruction in the Word of God. The book of James gives some practical and spiritual advice we could all use in the days we are living through.

1. “DO NOT BE DECEIVED!” (James 1:16) Ask God to give you His discernment! Study the truth of God’s Word and you will be more likely to identify the lie when it comes deceptively. Pray that He will give you supernatural help to discern the truth from lies.

From a practical standpoint, can I suggest that you be INCREDIBLY careful with what you share, and what you use to form your opinions unless you fact check and know the full story. I have heard misinformation about critical topics that were appalling to my beliefs, only to later find out they were not factual. I do not want to participate in spreading partial truths, which are really lies!

2. “BE SWIFT TO HEAR AND SLOW TO SPEAK!” (James 1:19) Isn’t that what Jesus did when He stooped down to write on the ground? He did not avoid the situation, He did eventually respond to the accusers, but this moment in between when he quietly responds with this unusual action is so powerful to me.

As believers, we are not to be silent, but when we speak, let our words be profound all while demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit. There was a time during Jesus’ earthly ministry where He was driven to action. You can read the story in John 2:14-17 NASU

And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”

 Even though Jesus demonstrated action related to His passion for the House of God, He took time to respond appropriately. I can just envision Him sitting down and weaving together the whip that He would use to express His displeasure with their actions. He was not reacting – He was responding!

3. GUARD AGAINST PREJUDICE AND JUDGEMENT! (James 2:4) Believers cannot love their neighbors as themselves and show partiality. We are called to love the sinner but hate the sin. The fight is not with human beings it is against the powers and principalities of darkness! (Ephesians 6:12)
4. TAME YOUR TONGUE! (James 3:5-10) This passage tells us the tongue can be an unruly evil and a deadly poison. As a Child of God, we should be speaking blessings instead of curses.
5. BE PATIENT AND EXPECTANT AS YOU WAIT FOR THE RETURN OF THE LORD! (James 5:7) This last chapter of James is full of pearls of wisdom to guide us through behaviors and actions we should be focused on as we get closer and closer to the return of the Lord.
   • Don’t grumble against one another. (verse 9)
   • Use the examples of the prophets of old as they demonstrated endurance even during times of great suffering. (verse 10)
   • Pray and praise! (verse 13)

Let me close with the end of this amazing book of the Bible as interpreted by The Passion Translation:

Finally, as members of God’s beloved family, we must go after the one who wanders from the truth and bring him back. For the one who restores the sinning believer back to God from the error of his way, gives back to his soul life from the dead, and covers over countless sins by their demonstration of love! (James 5:19-20 TPT)

Isn’t this what Jesus did in the story we began with. We don’t know what He wrote on the ground, we do know that all her accusers walked away and when she was left with the one who loved her enough to see past her sin, He left her with important instructions, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

Years ago, I walked into an Adult Bible Fellowship class with a box of pennies. After passing them out to all who were present, I asked what this coin represented to each of them. I received some interesting responses but did not get the one I was searching for.

As you look at the above photo of a penny, what does it represent to you? The answer I am searching for today is ONE. This is a word that seems to have lost its value. There are so many voices and so many choices, so many distractions and so many priorities, that focusing on just one thing seems impossible. Yet David, who is credited for being a man after God’s heart, penned this important truth.

The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. (Psalm 27:4-5 NLT)

This passage provides us with sound instruction for the unprecedented times we are currently living in. When we seek the ONE true God first, our priorities can come into alignment, and His voice can resonate above all the noise.

While I do not believe God sent the current crisis our world is facing, I do believe He is using it to help us remember the power of one. The importance of His voice and instruction over all other. The significance of making Him our number one priority.

We are unable to possibly decipher the many conflicting reports, agendas, and opinions we are bombarded with each day. Many of our former priorities that competed for our time with God are no longer existent. Could it be that God is reminding us to seek Him first? Is He asking us to make Him number one yet again? In our seeking we can find many benefits.

First, we can access the promise of the second part of the Scripture above. It doesn’t say, “If trouble comes”, it says, “When trouble comes”, we can be hidden in the secret place of the Most High. As a Christian, I am not promised a life with no storms. I am promised that I can be sheltered, and that God will never leave me or forsake me. I can have the assurance that He will calm the storm, or He will cross through it with me to the other side.

Secondly, if we the Body of Christ could all be focused on one thing and one voice, we could see a spirit of unity prevail as it did in the New Testament Church. This group of believers were known for having one heart, one mind, and operating in one accord. They turned their world upside down!

What if the Body of Christ could do that today? What would happen if collectively we all could unite with His agenda, focused on His priorities instead of our own? Now is the time for today’s Church to arise, with a spirit of unity, in one accord, asking our one true God to have mercy on the United States of America and restore her to be “One Nation Under God” once again.

I do not believe God is finished with His church on this earth; I believe her best days are in front of us if we can remember the value of one. We are given the key right there on the face of the coin, “In God We Trust”!

When the road of life leads us into difficult seasons, it is easy to be tempted to go back to the place that was more comfortable. When we decide to swing for the fence, take the big risk, only to strike out, it is tempting to stick with the status quo. Let’s face it, risk can hurt and leave you horribly disappointed. Change can be unsettling, and stretch us beyond our comfort zone. At the same time, we have heard it said that if you always do what you have always done, you will always have what you have always had.

This makes me think about the Children of Israel. They were held captive to serve as slaves to the Egyptians, yet they were God’s chosen people living so far below their destiny. God raised up Moses, who would lead them out of their captivity and toward their promise. With the Red Sea behind them and their enemy destroyed, they found themselves in the wilderness, in a difficult season wishing to go back to slavery.

For many, the familiar, even if it is slavery, is better than the unknown is. This mentality limits progress and traps us in a place of mediocrity and in some cases misery. Some of the Israelites died in the wilderness and never saw the land they were destined to inherit. They were out of Egypt, but Egypt was not out of them. They could not seem to stop looking back.

We read a different story of a man who was not afraid to head into the unknown. Elijah, one of the greatest prophets of all time, was directed by God to anoint Elisha to succeed him.

Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak over him. 20 Elisha deserted the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please! Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye — then I’ll follow you.” “Go ahead,” said Elijah, “but, mind you, don’t forget what I’ve just done to you.” 21 So Elisha left; he took his yoke of oxen and butchered them. He made a fire with the plow and tackle and then boiled the meat — a true farewell meal for the family. Then he left and followed Elijah, becoming his right-hand man. (1 Kings 19:19-21 The Message Bible)

Elisha had a very different response than many of the Children of Israel did. He was so determined to avoid being tempted to look back, that he burned his equipment and sacrificed his oxen! He had nothing to go back for.

What encouragement for us today. We can grow and learn from our past, but if we want to move forward, we cannot be tempted to look back. Albert Einstein defined insanity, “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Make a decision today to swing for the fence, take the risk, head toward the unknown, and become everything God has called you to be. Don’t give in to the temptation to look back to your old ways, your old life, or your past disappointments and mistakes. The Bible tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)