The Christian Life is a relay race
As the apostle Paul came to the end of his life he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” 2 Timothy 4:7 NLT
There is a significant difference between running a solo race and running a relay race. When running a ‘single’ race, winning or losing is totally dependent upon how well you perform against your competitors. A relay race is a team event – winning or losing is a ‘sum’ of each team persons performance and ability to ‘hand off’ the baton well.
Some time ago I began to realize (while reading Hebrews 11) that this Christian life is not a ‘solo’ race, but a relay race. I run my lap to the best of my ability (under the current conditions) and then hand off the baton to those who will run the next lap. My ‘lap’ may appear very successful (verses 4-35a) or may seem like failure (v35b-38) – BUT according to the verses 39-40 the team I am running with WILL win! I am part of a ‘winning’ team that has been running laps for 2000 years. My finish line is not the end of the race.
This gives me great encouragement when I feel like my ‘lap time’is really slow, or I slip and fall in the mud, or a competitor sprints past me or worse, bumps me and knocks me off course for a few strides. I am strengthened to continue because I know my team will win. My responsibility is to run my lap to the best of my ability and to finish it so that I can hand off the baton to the next generation. It also encourages me to know that my reward (as part of the winning team) will be just the same as the fastest person who ran! And it keeps me humble to know that the person who ran much slower than I, and the one who wandered off course for a considerable distance but got back to the track and finished their lap, will receive the same trophy as I do!
So, with my head up, and my eyes on the ‘coach,’ I will keep running my lap. I am not accountable for the conditions (nice dry track, or sweltering heat, or deep muddy slough holes), but only for being faithful to the end. And I am guaranteed the prize! Once again, it’s not about ‘performance’ but about ‘heart’ – the heart to be faithful and to finish well.
There is a significant difference between running a solo race and running a relay race. When running a ‘single’ race, winning or losing is totally dependent upon how well you perform against your competitors. A relay race is a team event – winning or losing is a ‘sum’ of each team persons performance and ability to ‘hand off’ the baton well.
Some time ago I began to realize (while reading Hebrews 11) that this Christian life is not a ‘solo’ race, but a relay race. I run my lap to the best of my ability (under the current conditions) and then hand off the baton to those who will run the next lap. My ‘lap’ may appear very successful (verses 4-35a) or may seem like failure (v35b-38) – BUT according to the verses 39-40 the team I am running with WILL win! I am part of a ‘winning’ team that has been running laps for 2000 years. My finish line is not the end of the race.
This gives me great encouragement when I feel like my ‘lap time’is really slow, or I slip and fall in the mud, or a competitor sprints past me or worse, bumps me and knocks me off course for a few strides. I am strengthened to continue because I know my team will win. My responsibility is to run my lap to the best of my ability and to finish it so that I can hand off the baton to the next generation. It also encourages me to know that my reward (as part of the winning team) will be just the same as the fastest person who ran! And it keeps me humble to know that the person who ran much slower than I, and the one who wandered off course for a considerable distance but got back to the track and finished their lap, will receive the same trophy as I do!
So, with my head up, and my eyes on the ‘coach,’ I will keep running my lap. I am not accountable for the conditions (nice dry track, or sweltering heat, or deep muddy slough holes), but only for being faithful to the end. And I am guaranteed the prize! Once again, it’s not about ‘performance’ but about ‘heart’ – the heart to be faithful and to finish well.
posted by Reid @ Wednesday, March 28, 2007
4 comments
4 Comments:
loved this...just what I needed to hear...my running does not look pretty but I am determined to do my very best, to finish and pass the baton on...thanks for the great pic of faith-life!
Thanks for your encouragement ... as I thought about your comment, I am reminded that the reward is not for 'style' points [in fact most of the time I think my form is 'stagger' rather than perfect runner, and the reward is not for 'speed' but for finishing my lap (regardless of the time it takes) ..
I keep reading this and thinking how great it is to be part of a team , to be encouraged by others pulling for me and to be a contributor to something greater than myself. And then there's that "cloud of witnesses" cheering us on. In that cloud I see my grandparents, relatives I've never even met, saints from my early years in church and others who have gone on to their reward. It keeps me going somedays.
Thanks Reid.
Hey Dr. Steve-o
I think in our individualistic (North American) concept of what it means to be a Christian, we sometimes forget that we really are part of a 'big team' effort. And, you're right .. it really is encouraging to think of all the team cheering us on ... that in itself is a good definition of Christian 'community' [church] isn't it .... a team cheering each other on during our 'lap' around the track.
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