Friday, August 8, 2008
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Running the Faith Race
"Run is such a way as to get the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:24).
Are you a runner? Have you ever tried to be one? I think that there are runners, and there is the rest of the world. And, for many of these "runners", their passion for the sport borders on religious. I'm sure that that needs to be true and has been so for the last several years for all who will compete in the upcoming Olympic games. Most of us will sit and watch.
I used to run although I don't know if I was ever a "runner." I even competed — I use the term rather loosely — in a couple of half marathons. I sort of dreamed of running a full marathon one day. But, I didn't just go out one day and run the 12.2 miles. I worked up to it, running a little bit further each day. At the same time, even with all of the training that proceeded the day of the race, it took great effort and will and determination to actually complete the entire circuit. Running is not easy and maybe that is why most of the world avoids it.
Paul the apostle grew up in the ancient culture that gave birth to the Olympics and he uses that comparison when he says,
"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. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
He used this analogy not to encourage us to run in the physical — although I'm sure that God wouldn't complain if more of us paid a little more attention to this part of his temple — but in the arena of faith. Faith is not easy either and maybe that is why most of the church avoids it.
We are called to exercise our faith — to practice on small things each and every day — so that when the day of big need arrives, we are ready to run. This is the "strict training" part and it is neither glamorous or noticed. That is why it is avoided. Who will ever know? "Run in such a way as to get the prize." It may be important to actually avoid religious activity which is more like a treadmill — we feel like we are running but it doesn't really get us anywhere! Things like prayer, Bible reading and even memorization, meditation on scripture, maybe even fasting, these are all activities that God uses to nourish and train our faith. If we haven't done these things beforehand, we will not survive on the day of the race — on the day when our faith will be needed.
We never know when that day will arrive. We never know when we will be called upon to stand up and be people of faith. Have you and I already missed some of those days because we simply weren't prepared?
When the writer of the book of Hebrews gives us the Faith Hall of Fame in chapter 11, I don't think that it is any accident that the conclusion of that chapter makes reference to what we are talking about today. He says,
"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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Jesus is the prize. He is what we stand to win. He is what we are after. And, the race of faith is the only way to get there. So, let's train today so that our faith is stronger tomorrow. And even more the next day. Let's do those things that we know to do, those things that build our faith rather than tear it down. Use our faith even in small ways today so that it is ready for bigger things tomorrow. And feed our faith with all of the things that God has provided to nourish it and give us the energy we need to run. To win!
"Run in such a way as to get the prize."
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