Run God’s race
Competition is in the air with the Olympic coverage streaming almost 24/7. I cannot run a sub-ten second 100-meter sprint, but am pretty competitive with many things in my life. My USAF career will soar (pun intended) if I rank higher than my peers. We’re literally scored #1 down through the lowest ranking person. The system is designed to promote “success”, but I can’t help but wonder if that really matters and continually have to try and keep things in perspective.
Does God want me to sacrifice to be the best officer in my squadron or spend more time teaching my children? Should I read books from the Chief of Staff’s recommended reading list or dig into the Word?
1 Corinthians 9: 24-25
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Please pray we will have the courage and strength to run the race worth winning.
August 18 2008 01:01 am | Education and Questioner's Corner and The War
OOC on 18 Aug 2008 at 10:48 pm #
What’s the prize?
Revelation 21: 6-7
NIV
It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
OC on 19 Aug 2008 at 7:30 am #
So I guess you answered your own question…but I’m sure you knew the answer all along. I too struggle with the desire to succeed and be ranked high among my peers. God is the only meaningful judge and we can’t live up to His holy standard. I try to serve Him because of the great things he’s done and the overflowing mercy He’s shown me. I want to be a good Christian but I’ll always fall short. Jesus’ sacrifice for me give me the inspiration to serve Him and “soldier on” not because I’ll win a medal but because He is my God and He is worthy of my best efforts.
Thanks giving me some perspective and an opportunity to think these things out in writing. I need to make sure I live the intent of what I’ve written and keep Him in view rather than my career or anything of this earth.
OC
CatholicMom on 19 Aug 2008 at 11:42 pm #
I think it’s very important to keep the goal (Heaven!) in sight, always, but it’s also important to realize that God reveals His plan for each of us in His own time. I know that in my own life, I’ve discovered that almost every single thing I’ve experienced or done (except calculus!) has prepared me for my future…who knew that my substitute teacher years long ago would give me courage to tackle homeschooling during high school? Or that my exchange student experiences would prepare me for two overseas military tours?
I say this not to contradict or discourage - far from it - but to remind myself and others that we don’t always know what God has in store for us. We do know that He will be with us, always, and we also know that we need fear nothing at all because He is with us, guarding us always. It’s hard to trust sometimes, but Jesus tells us not to be afraid, to place all our trust in Him.
Whatever you decide, OOC, I know you’ll place your future in God’s hands, and that’s the most important thing.
OC on 20 Aug 2008 at 6:30 am #
Catholic Mom,
Come on! Didn’t calculus prepare you for something? Crazy math rules for parties? The understanding of the redemptive value of suffering? To tell others you never want to take it again…
I don’t know if you intended this but I get a sense of God’s sovereign love from your reply. God is in control and He is always with us -Does that fit in to what you’ve written?
Thanks for your comment.
OC
CatholicMom on 20 Aug 2008 at 10:01 am #
Absolutely, OC. How many times have you wondered what would happen in a particular situation, only to discover that God had a plan in mind all the time…you just didn’t know what it was.
One of my favorite books is The Hiding Place, because it’s filled with a sense of trust in God, regardless of circumstances. I re-read that book at least once a year!