Run in Such a WaySample

Run the Race Marked Out for You

I used to consider myself as competitive. Growing up playing sports and all types of games, I found myself wanting to be on the winning side. As a kid, you want to win at all costs.  Being on the 'losing' team was never fun. So sometimes, you would cut corners (some people say cheat) just so you can experience sweet victory.

The problem with that is, life doesn't always seem victorious. As John Maxwell says, "sometimes you win; sometimes you learn." The writer of Hebrews states it this way in chapter 12, verse 1, "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." There are two things he wants us to learn about this race: (1) run with endurance and (2) run the race marked out for YOU.

In being competitive, it is easy to fall into the temptation of comparison. We see the champion or winner as 'better than us' because of the status. We can find ourselves feeling a sense of worthlessness because we are not on top. It affects our self-esteem and we end up buying into the lie that we don't have the value that God has established in His word.

We are reminded to run with endurance. We cannot give up. Stay focused and when you can't run, walk. When you cannot walk, crawl. But whatever you do, DO NOT QUIT! The Lord is with you and for you. By His grace and mercy, you will be victorious.

We are also reminded to run the race marked out for us. In a marathon, there are lanes assigned to each runner. Interference is called if any runner impedes another competitor by jostling or running across an opponent's path, deliberately runs on or inside the track curb or illegally runs outside the assigned lane; they will be disqualified from the race. There is no need to compare nor try to run someone else's race. There is a race marked out for you. That's the one God designed for you. BE YOU!  

Challenge: Do you struggle with comparison? Have you tried to be or act like someone else to gain approval? How can you focus on the race marked out for you?