Running God's Race
You can’t turn on the television or surf the Web right now without seeing, hearing, or reading all about the Olympic games. In my last two posts, we have compared the Christian life to an Olympic race. The Christian life is focused on the ultimate race to win the prize, which requires a daily commitment to its pursuit. In the Christian life race, you can be a spectator, or you can pursue a counterfeit prize that offers nothing more than a façade of value. Or you can choose to run the race God has set before you.The race that God sets before you begins with Jesus’ call, “Come and follow me.” Then he says the essence of running this race is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. These two rules summarize the race Christ calls us to run. Paul urges the Christians at Corinth to run and finish the race God has laid out for them (and us)—to suit up, show up, and to live with a single-minded intention. To run the race is to offer ourselves to God, to seek to live for him, and to seek to love others. Every morning we wake up and say, “Here I am, Lord. Use me!,” we seek to use the gifts and abilities God has given us for his glory. So, what does this look like in real life? What does it mean to seek to live daily for the glory of God and to bless others? Here’s one example. I was recently reminded of a man who—after using the airplane restroom every time—would clean up the bathroom. He would wipe down the toilet and the counter tops before he left. “Why do you feel compelled to do this?” I asked.He said, “This may sound crazy, but I feel God wants me to clean the bathroom. I see it as an act of worship and humble service to God and a way to bless those who come after me. I feel God smiles when I do this.” This guy was one of the most respected men in his field, but he cleaned the toilets on the airplane to honor God and to bless others. He was running the race at 35,000 feet in a small toilet where no one but God could see him.For more about the Olympics and the Christian Life, listen to the latest sermon series, The Games: Faster, Higher, Stronger. You may be interested in these related blog posts: Go For the "Gold" Straining Forward photo credit: www.stock.xchng