Do you not know that those who run in a race all run,
but only one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may win.
1 Corinthians 9:24
Hot, HOT, H-O-T! It’s the only word to describe the weather as August draws to a close this year. For that reason, my morning walks commenced before dawn every day this week. I felt quite virtuous trudging down the road, flashlight in hand. So virtuous I almost reached back to pat myself on the back. But I refrained, knowing the effort would add to the little sweat mustache already growing on my upper lip.
Still my self-congratulatory state of mind persisted until I reached the top of the skate park hill and prepared to descend, only to see every member of the high school cross country team running up the hill. One after another, young men ran up the hill and back down. My admiration for them grew as they nodded hello to me, encouraged one another, reached the bottom of the hill, then turned around and began running up it again.
Those young men were Paul’s 1 Corinthians 9 word picture come to life. All ran, knowing that only one could win the prize on race day. Even so, they ran up and down that hill, determined to win. In the half-dark. On the hottest day of the summer. Long before their school day began. Sweat dripping down their faces. Breathing harder and harder with each crest of the hill.
Our paths diverged when I reached the skate pond. I walked on, thinking about those determined young people and pondering Paul’s words. He wasn’t talking about training to win a foot race. The word picture was an analogy about training to live a victorious spiritual life as believers. The word picture got me to wondering about my fellow believers at Grace Community Church.
What if we pursued faith training with as much determination as the high school cross country team demonstrated in that hot, August dawn? What if we exercised our spiritual muscle by rising early every day to pray? If we set aside time to meet with other believers to sweat our way through thorny theological issues? If we read God’s word, revisiting hard doctrines until we understood them?
How strong would our faith become? What obstacles could we overcome, confident of Christ’s strength at work through us? What rivers of compassion would flow from our hearts? How would God use such dedicated people to further his kingdom? And what would he say when we arrive at the finish line, out of earthly breath, dying to fall into his arms?
Home. You’re home now.
Those are the words I hope to hear when my race ends. The hope of that prize is what makes me rise early to read God’s word. It’s what motivates me to fellowship with other believers and share the gospel throughout the week. It’s what I pray for you during my morning walks: That when I reach my true home in heaven, you’ll be there, too.
