Persevering the Race

 

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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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

The One Mile Sprinter

I recall when I was in 7th grade on the track team. I competed in the 1-mile and 2-mile race and every practice we ran a park trail from the school to a neighborhood across the school. It was a 2 mile run down and back. As a middle schooler, it was not easy running long distance. I was use to running sprints like the 100m dash, 4x1 relay, and 200m run. This was another level of mental strength and stamina. 

When the first middle school track meet began, I was super pumped and psyching myself up to win my race in the 1 mile. I waited for hours because my race was the last event. When they called the racers up to the starting line, I felt my heart was ready to jump out and start running. I hear the gun go off and I took off full sprint. I going 90-100% about a quarter around the track in 1st place, but then I started to get gassed out a little. I couldn't push any harder. The runners were coming right behind me 3 quarters away from the first lap. When I reached the starting line, my coached yelled "Bailey! What are you doing?! You got 3 more laps to go! slow your pace!" I thought, "oh no…" I was getting so tired, I got a cramp on my side as I was running and I'm in 7th place out of 8. The one thing I kept telling myself was finish the race and don't get last (even though 7th place did feel last). On the 4th lap, I gave everything I had just hoping to finish this pain I was having and ready to rest. I see the finish line, with every ounce of strength I had, I passed through the finish line and go straight to the football grass and lay down on my back to catch my breath. My coach came by and said two tings to me; 1. That sprinting on the first lap in a long distance run was dumb of me. 2. He told me I did a good job for not quitting and finishing the race. That moment of first track meet taught me something that applies to us: Life is a marathon, not a sprint.

We are all runners

Life is often likened to a marathon rather than a sprint, though we are not physically running, but time flys in a flash as we grow from infant to old age. I'll make this metaphor simple: there's starting line and a finish line to our life. 

We all run for something we want to achieve. Whether it's intrinsic or extrinsic, we are all motivated by something. My question to you is, what is that goal or prize you are striving to achieve? Money? Power? Fame? Love and acceptance? 

Run for God

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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Around apostle Paul's time in year 53-54, he wrote to the church in Corinth to address divisions and conflicts within the Corinthian church and to address issues of immoral behavior. 

The people in Corinth are hellenistic people, they celebrated the famous world wide Olympic Games. The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses.

Paul, as a Jew that understood the Hellenistic culture, was familiar with the Greek games – both in Olympia and Isthmia. Foot races were a common event in such competitions. Corinthian society was highly competitive. Instead of competing against one another who is the most spiritual or best "Christian" because who they follow (i.e Apollos, Paul, Peter, etc.), their main goal and prize is fixating on Jesus. They focus on a crown that won't last forever.

Today, we focus on peripheral objects (money, cars, houses) and they get in the way following Jesus. We believe in the lie that creative things in the world brings us purpose, self identity, and self actualization. Jesus comes into the picture to show us the real prize through him that's worth running the race with Him. A race to lay your life down for others and not for your self. Surrendering our prize and honors for a crown that will last forever.