Running The Race
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1, ESV
I woke up one morning with the image of a runner in my head. It was early, so I knew Jehovah was speaking to me. I saw a runner with her arm up high behind her, ready to start the race. As I meditated on why her arm was up so high, I heard the Holy Spirit say she was ready to win that race. She was ready to give all she had to win. Her arm was high to give her the boost she needed when she took off so she could hopefully take the lead when the race started.
Jehovah said that no one starts a race to lose - they are focused on winning. An image of a football player came into my mind. The player practices hard and prepares so that he can give all he has so his team can win. The player is totally focused on the game. His eyes are set on what is happening in front of him. Everything else has been laid aside. The runner’s focus is the same. In the run you can see her eyes focused on nothing but what is ahead of her. She never takes her eyes off the track. Her focus is totally on finishing the run and winning. I have never seen a runner in a race look up to watch the crowd while running. It is not until after the race is over that she gives a wave to the crowd.
Suddenly I thought, “Am I in the race to win?” Then the scripture came to my mind: “…Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24). I had been away taking care of my sister who had surgery and I wondered if I could be doing better. I had brought other things that I could work on while she was resting, but I could not help but think that I needed to make sure I was in this race to win. I don’t believe there was anything wrong with me doing some additional work when I had down time, but I needed to make sure I was focused on what was in front of me instead of trying to hurry up and finish with her so I could do what I had planned next.
I was so grateful to Jehovah for bringing that word to me in those moments. It reminded me that serving Him required being focused on what He had in front of me. He would give me the time to focus on what was next when it was time for next. Whatever God has you serving in right now, is where you should be, just like the athlete who prepared to win. We are called to lay every weight aside, that includes multi-tasking. ELOHIM gave us the best example of how He works when we look at the creation in Genesis 1:1-2:1. He did not multi-task when He created. He was focused on that one thing, everything else was laid aside so that the task in front could be completed. Satan’s goal is to keep us distracted so we do not finish the race. Let us not get distracted by too many things so we lose focus on what God has in front of us. Amen!
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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