I saw a particularly memorable marathon a few years ago. Thousands were gathered at the start, many dressed in outlandish costumes.
There was a guy in a banana suit slugging down beers; there was a girl dressed as a tree stump; there were seven people dressed as flowers and linked together by a rope.
The race started with lots of shouts and laughter, but within the first few miles there were casualties everywhere: the tree-stump girl was lying by the side of the road, branches flailing; the human flower-chain was weaving dangerously as they continually bumped into one another, and Mr. Banana was doubled over a picket fence (I won’t elaborate on what he was doing).
By the end of the race, few had finished well. That’s true of life also: many start well, but few end that way. Are there some things we can do to assure our legacy will be one of honor rather than squander? Let’s take a few minutes to consider what God says we can do to achieve victory in the race of our life.
We can start by removing all the distractions we possibly can. Hebrews 12:1 says it this way: “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the particular race that God has set before us.”
What sort of things hinder and entangle us? For some of us, it’s the obsessive pursuit of wealth; for others, it’s the constant chasing after pleasure or popularity; for some of us, it’s being involved in an unhealthy relationship.
And then there are the entanglements from our past. When we refuse to forgive people who have hurt us or when we constantly berate ourselves for past mistakes, we become entangled in them.
We should take the Apostle Paul’s advice: “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Stop rehearsing the past and release it. Stop being manipulated by your memories. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past” (Isaiah 43:18). Learn from the past but don’t dwell on it. We’ve all stumbled somewhere, but the race is not over.
We are in a long-distance marathon, and even if we fall, it doesn’t mean we are out of the race.
Aesop’s ancient fable of the tortoise and the hare is built upon the Bible truth that reminds us “the swiftest person does not always win the race” (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
Step No. 2 in successfully running the race is to resist becoming discouraged. “Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up” (Galatians 6:9).
The secret of success is persistence. Are you persistent? When things don’t go your way, do you push on or do you have a little pity party and say, “Nobody loves me! Everybody hates me … I’m going to go eat worms and die!”
Hebrews 10:36 says, “You need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if you want Him to do for you all that He has promised.” In Habakkuk 2:3, God says, “these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day.”
God is never late; He’s always right on time. But the fact is that somewhere along the line, God is going to test your commitment.
He isn’t going to test you in order to learn how you will respond (he already knows); the test is for your benefit, not His. The two primary reasons God will test your commitment are first, to let you see how committed you really are, and second, to show you His faithfulness.
Which is why the third step is so critical: realize that the only way we will be truly successful in finishing life’s race is by allowing God to give us the power to do what we need to do.
Paul’s comment in Colossians 1:29 is instructive: “This is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me.”
Ask yourself this question: “Who do I really count on when the going gets tough?” For most of us, the honest answer is, “I depend on myself.” And therein lies the reason that so many of us do not finish the race well.
Henry Harris is lead pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, 330 Tres Pinos Rd. in Hollister. If you have questions or comments, please visit the church Web site at www.rollinghillsfamily.com, e-mail pa*********@****************ly.com or phone (831) 636-5353.
