As you run God’s race, stay in your own lane.
For each of us, running God’s race is personal. We can only run the race God has individually marked out for us. I can’t run your race, and you can’t run mine. The race marked out for some includes a legacy of abusive parents. For others it involves a physical or mental handicap. Some believers run their race in the context of material prosperity. Others run a course marked by poverty.
We all run God’s race. But none of us run in the same lane. So what happens when the running gets tough? What happens when your lane runs uphill while all the other runners seem to be trotting on a downhill course? Are you tempted to change lanes? Do you long to run someone else’s race?
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Remember, God knows just what we need. My race is custom designed by God to prepare me for eternity, and your race is custom designed to prepare you. Thank God that He loves you enough to mark out a race just for you. Do you trust Him enough to stay in your lane and run without complaint?
As you run God’s race, run with perseverance.
The Christian life is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. Reaching the finish line requires perseverance. Hard times come, and we get weary. Never give up. Instead, remember that the race we run, we run with God. He is our power. He is our strength. By His grace, we can persevere. By His mercy, we will cross the finish line.
As you run God’s race, run with focus.
Hebrews 12:2 reminds us that as we run God’s race we must “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith…” Finishing God’s race requires right focus. Every day we must fix our eyes on Jesus because He is both the giver of our faith and the ultimate role model for our faith. If we fix our eyes on Him, we’ll never stray from the course. He’s waiting for us at the finish line. And when our race is done, we’ll hear Him say, “Well run, good and faithful servant.” (Dean Shriver)
