The Path Before You

What are you running towards?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

I had my first race, I remember the excitement as we were all gathered together, hundreds and hundreds of fellow runners all corralled together waiting at the starting line.  There was this feeling of awe standing there, feeling apart of something great.  Each person different, their size unique, their look unique, but their goal the same--to cross the finish line.  

The gun went off and we all started at our own paces, our own strategies, our own goals.  Of course there were those that took off at lightning speed that I never saw again, but then there were those that kept a steady pace with me. We took step by painful step together but there was comfort in knowing that we all drew encouragement off each other's determination.  There were those that stood on the sidelines offering their encouragement, perfect strangers with no connection to me other than a deep desire to applaud and push me one step closer to the ultimate goal.  It was an amazing feeling, being surrounded by so many strangers and yet feeling apart of something bigger than myself.

I was reaching the end, I could see the finish line in front of me.  It was possibly 25 more feet and as my legs and feet were tired, the reality of the goal in front of me pushed me with an adrenaline I didn't know I possessed.   A fellow runner was beside me, keeping perfect stride with me, he would push a little faster and then I would push a little faster.  He then continued to push faster and faster, I was getting confused at this point because I couldn't understand why he was so determined to pass me.  The irony of the race was that it wasn't until after I crossed the finish line that I realized this was a race and that the man beside me was determined to come first.  I laughed at my obvious misunderstanding.  This however was a perfect lesson to what God shares in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  We all run towards a prize, we all exercise self-control, we all have a goal we are striving towards.  

I often remind myself of this memory because in that race i was content just to keep my own pace, just to cross that finish line of my own self-control, and to be in awe in the company of those sharing the same goal with me.  I lose focus of this in my everyday daily life.  I find myself constantly trying to surpass and beat those around me, I lose focus of the goal and just run aimlessly, and instead of drawing encouragement from those around me, I tend to find them as threatening to my race.   

Life is our ultimate race.  Heaven and fellowship with God is our ultimate goal.  The body of believers is our company, our encouragement, those who share our strides as we run towards the same goal.  Our paths may not all be the same, our pace may not be the same, our look and our style may not be the same, but we all start at the same place and we all hope to end at the same place.  We all share in something great, we are all apart of something bigger than ourselves, we are all athletes training ourselves to become stronger.

So I ask myself how is it that in that race I kept my eye on the prize, I kept myself from distraction, and I was content to run my own race and not to allow those around me to distract me from the victory of merely crossing the finish line;  yet when it comes to the race of life, my eye often loses sight of the prize, I allow every distraction to keep me from running with purpose, and I am so focused on running faster than those around me then in getting to the goal at my personal best?

What are we running towards???  The purpose will shed light to the journey.