Running the Race to Win a Crown

The scripture often compares the Christian life to running a race. I used to run track and field and was taught that there are several important factors in running a good race.

1. Get Hydrated. It is important to drink plenty of water when running before and after so that the body does not get dehydrated and faint. Spiritually we need to "drink" of the Lord by having spiritual encounters with Jesus everyday. We do this by spending time with the Lord and receiving the presence and power of the Holy Spirit as our helper. Jesus spoke of this in John:7:37-29




37On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”^e 39(When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,^f because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

2. Set Your Pace. In my running days, most of the distance runners that started out a race at a full sprint were new and unseasoned. They quickly lost their steam and usually ended up at the end of the pack. The wise runners reserved their energy for the final part of the race. They often started out slower but ended up winning in the end. This has a spiritual application. Those who excel in their spiritual walk may not start out with a bang, but they have a consistent, steady life with the Lord which puts them as front-runners over time. We keep from burning out and set our pace by balancing time working for the Lord with time waiting on the Lord. It is in waiting on the Lord that our strength is actually recharged to continue as it says in Isaiah 40:31:

31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

3. Don't Look Back. One of the tips we got from our coach was never to look back in a race. There is a strong temptation to turn around to view where the competition is especially when you hear their footsteps pounding at your heels, but this takes valuable seconds off your race time and could cause you to lose. In the same way, it is vital not to meditate, remember, consider or rehearse old relationships, habits and memories connected to your life in sin or the flesh. When they come to mind they are only to be as instruction points for running better and different today not as temptations to pull you back to where you were yesterday. Philippians 3 says:

13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

4. Stay on the Path. In a comical vintage Charlie Brown movie, he is attempting the track and field events. When he comes to the race, he finally begins to excel as he takes off in the lead. As he is enjoying his moment of glory and the crisp outdoor air, he closes his eyes and continues right off the track and into the park! Needless to say, he did not win that race. While this is a comical rendering of running, it is not a far-fetched scenario in the spiritual race. In Pilgrim's Progress, the traveler is on the path to heaven, but along the way he encounters multiple people (representing temptations and snares) that try to lead him off course. Whether it was humanism, materialism, discouragement, doubt, or vanity, he would often get stuck or sidetrack on other paths than the one going to heaven. Similarly our enemy satan sends temptations our way to get off course. We must be observant and overcoming in our race to stay on God's way and say as Paul in 2 Timothy 4:

6As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

5. Look to the Prize. A runner who looks down at his feet is cutting off valuable oxygen flow to his body that can help him run better, faster and longer. In the spiritual race, we need to not look down at our circumstances, abilities, limitations or problems but up at His goodness, His provision, His ability and His faithfulness. We need to not chase goals of our promotion, our pleasure, and our security but His pleasure, His promotion, and His satisfaction. It is only when the Lord is our highest aim and goal can we run the Christian life and race we were created for. As it says in Hebrews 12:

1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

6. Lay off Weights. The typical runner's gear is a very lightweight top and shorts. The runner wants the least wind and weight resistance possible so they do not exert access energy that could be used for running. In the same way, we need to shed ourselves of everything that would weigh us down spiritually and cause our walk with the Lord to be sluggish, wearisome, and stagnant. This often comes in the form of complaining, mumbling, and lusting like the children of Israel whose wilderness wandering was a parable of what happens when we delay obedience or have attitudes that prevent us from achieving spiritual goals and territory. It can also come in the form of legalism, self righteousness and a critical spirit. In Galatians 5, it was a congregation that had gone back to legalism under the Jewish law because of some teachings that wanted them to make circumcision a prerequisite to salvation. Paul told them:

7Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 8This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

7. Never stop Training. For a true athlete, there is no "off season." While track and field was probably my best sport, I did not love it or discipline myself to train year round. I wanted to try other sports and activities like soccer and more soccer. I found out at race time, that I was no match for those who had been training year-round in running. One school had a group of girls that ran cross country in the fall, indoor in the winter, outdoor in the spring and all summer long. They blew us out of the water and most of the girls went on to get college scholarships and run for college. The point is to excel, there are no breaks. Sure there are changes in the workout to pinpoint various muscle groups and techniques, however there is always some kind of activity. There are also certain events that come more naturally to an athlete depending on body type and talent. Not everyone is a sprinter and not everyone is a distance runner so it is acceptable to focus on a strength, but all aspects of the sport should be developed. It is the same way spiritually. We cannot have a spiritual off season. We need to exercise our spiritual muscles by memorizing scripture, reading scripture, declaring scripture, engaging in worship corporately and individually, meditating, praying, using spiritual gifts and sharing our faith. What we do not use will atrophy. While we may specialize in one area more than others, we need to exercise all our spiritual muscles to be well rounded and run a successful race. It says in 1 Corinthians 9:

24Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

So where are you at in your spiritual race? Are you winning and energized? Are you tired and lagging behind? Have you quit or gotten off track? It is not too late to jump back in the race today! Get things right with the Lord and commit yourself to serving Him. It is alot of work, but it is so worth it and the prize is eternal!!!!!