The Race of a Lifetime

 The New Year often brings aspirations of a healthier version of ourselves. We look closely at our nutrition habits and exercise habits and note some changes that need to be made. Goals may be set and some effort begin to get us on track. 

As those habits become rooted in us, results will start to show. This can be a time where we begin to coast a bit, to just do what is necessary to maintain. But strength in any area doesn't come through coasting, it comes as we push through the hard areas.

"Strength doesn't come from what you CAN do, it comes from doing what you thought you COULD NEVER do." 

Just as our physical muscles need to be stretched and strengthened, our spiritual muscles need it even more. This is the time of year we often dream and envision godly characteristics we long to see in our lives. Christ has provided all we need to succeed in godly living, but the action choices are ours to make. 

Choices bring results. Think of an athlete in intense training. The opposing sides of growing stronger and getting flabbier and weaker cannot happen. Intentionally growing closer to God, stretches the distance further away from sin. 

Every Christian has entered a race.  It is the race of a lifetime. It should dominate your mind and occupy your waking moments. It should become the central focus of your existence and what you live for. 

You have been chosen. God Almighty has picked. He has chosen you to run the race of a lifetime. Imagine the thrill if an Olympic committee knocked on your door selecting you to represent our country? Imagine, God knocking on the door of your heart selecting you for his team. If you have trusted in Jesus Christ God has done just that.

"Run in such a way that you may win" (1 Cor. 9:24 HCSB). Winning this race is not beating the other runners. The prize is becoming a spiritual champion. A spiritual champion is one sold out to Jesus, straining to become more like him everyday. The finish line of faith is a life that is more Christian today than yesterday. The goal is not perfection, but progress.

Winning this race will require great endurance, perseverance, patience, and resolve. Victory necessitates that we run with undying persistence and steadfast endurance until we arrive at the finish line victorious. 

The single most important principle for running the race toward becoming a spiritual champion is: Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but of training wisely.

We arrange our life around certain disciplines that help us gain power and strength to become more like Jesus each day, to live a life as Jesus taught and modeled. The activities of prayer, Bible Study, worship, service, evangelism, stewardship are among the needed the disciplines for running the spiritual race.

• Prayer: How often are you talking with the Father each day?
• Bible Study: Are you engaged in a regular time of Bible reading, devotion, and study?
• Worship: Are you praising the Father in regular times of worship?
• Service: How are you using your gifts to serve God and his people?
• Evangelism: Have you spoken to someone recently regarding his or her relationship with God?
• Stewardship: Are you investing regularly and consistently in God's church with your time, talents, and financial resources?

The secret to winning the race, to truly live a Christlike life, is to order our lives around those activities, disciplines, and practices that were modeled by Christ, in order to accomplish through training what we cannot do by trying.

Will you purpose this year to engage in the physical and spiritual consistent choices and disciplines to be a champion?