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On Your Mark: Ready
Jan 7, 2017
Everyone is running a race.
We may not realize it, but look around you. Look at the pace in which people live their lives, look at the emotion and energy that comes out of the things we do.
No doubt about it, we’re running a race. But here’s the problem, no one would begin an actual race without knowing the finish line. No one just starts running because they saw someone else running and figured they would finish when they didn’t feel like it. Yet we do that all the time.
We run races not knowing where they’re headed or why we’re running to begin with.
So when you hear the words, “On Your Mark”, the question is not are you running, it’s are you running the right race?
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
You’re obviously running, but what race are you running?
Is the race I’m running the one God has set before me?
Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter. – DL Moody
Jesus is the champion of the race God has set before us. If Jesus isn’t the one you’re emulating, then you’re in the wrong race.
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
Fix: Fasten securely in place or position.
My concern:
- We’re running our neighbor’s race.
- We’re drafting.
- We’re shocked when our finish line is a spot we don’t want to be in.
To fix your eyes means to de-compartmentalize your life.
Think: Lawn, Not: Potted Plants
When asked about the secret to athletic achievement, Olympic sprinter Iwan Thomas gave a surprising answer – practice is only part of what leads to Olympic level success. The sprinter shared that becoming an Olympic athlete requires living in a way that promotes athletic success off the track just as much as on. From your sleep schedule to the clothes you wear to the media you consume, Thomas stressed that it all matters when training for a big race.
For an Olympic athlete, training isn’t confined to the gym, but instead is integrated into all areas of life. This all-encompassing integration is the same that is required of us to take seriously the words of Hebrews 12:2. The invitation to fix our eyes on Jesus is not an easy one in our heavily compartmentalized society. For most of us, our life is lived in separate spheres – work and school happen somewhere other than home, where our daily lives are lived, play and relaxation is something we do on the weekends or while on vacation, and spirituality has followed suite, becoming something we do when we go to church on Sundays. We concern ourselves with finding balance between the areas rather than with integrating all areas of our life into our singular purpose.
Before we can begin running the race that has been set before us with endurance and perseverance, we must set our intention. Only then can we charge forward, eyes fixed on Jesus, toward the finish line.
Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2
Questions for Reflection:
If someone were to observe your life (time, money, energy) what finish line would they say you are running towards?
In what ways have you compartmentalized your life?
How might you begin to integrate your life – living as a whole person of faith in every area?
What simple tools could you use to evaluate the end that you are living for (calendar, checkbook, social media, etc)?
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