Stay the Course

by Sheri Folkes

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now, they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty..." — 1 Corinthians 9:24-26a.

We are all in a race, both spiritual and physical, and not one of us knows when our race will end.

Hebrews 12:1-2: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith."

Our Christian race began at baptism, and it requires constant training and discipline to maintain the endurance needed to finish. First, we must have the correct map: the Word of God. We need the rules that will lead us on the proper course. 2 Timothy 2:5 says, "And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules." The Apostle Paul compares our spiritual race to a serious athlete. Competing in a race requires many hours of training, running long and steady distances one day and short, fast distances the next. Weight training and a strict diet are also needed, as is learning the course of the race. These many hours of training and knowledge of the course help the athlete focus on the challenge of the race—its length, how many hills, and its location in a particular town. Maybe it's a trail run. The goal is to run with endurance, be the first to cross the finish line to receive the gold medal, and have your best time possible.

It has become a custom for races to be held just for fun or to help an organization raise money for a good cause like St. Jude's, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, or Beat the Heat (which honors a fallen officer). The organizers of these races always provide a map of the course on their websites. It is the responsibility of each participant to get it for themselves. Sometimes it is possible to run the course ahead of time to become familiar with the area and keep a mental focus on the race.

Volunteers are placed in certain areas to help keep you on track. Sometimes red cones are placed on certain paths as a warning not to take them. Much effort is put into letting each participant know which way to go.

I like to enter these races on occasion, nothing too big, just a 5k. A few years ago, I entered a race held in a location that I knew very well. It was one of my favorite places to run. The morning of the race, I checked the course again to make sure I knew where to run and started my "Runkeeper" app. When the race began, it was not long before a woman, whom I knew to be my exact age, was running right beside me. We ran so close together that we could hear each other breathe. I was happy for the competition and was pushing myself to run as fast as possible. However, when we got about a half-mile away from the finish line, the woman took a wrong turn and went down the wrong path! It was actually a shortcut, which meant she did not run the complete 3.1 miles. The race organizers had set "red cones" on the paths to be avoided, and this path had a red cone. For a split second, I almost went with her, but I knew the right path. I tried to yell and warn her, but I was out of breath. "The volunteers will tell her and send her back the correct way," I thought to myself, as I had seen that done before. So, I kept running and finished my race with the best time I had run in a while. As I stopped to catch my breath, I noticed the woman standing off to the side drinking a bottle of water. They had not sent her back the correct way, even though they knew she had taken a shortcut. And to my dismay, she was awarded first place and I was given second. The woman actually did not know she had run down the wrong path until I spoke up and presented the evidence from my "Runkeeper" app. I did not mind coming in second instead of first—in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. It was for a good cause, and the medals are not actually made of real gold. But I did mind that the rules were not followed, especially by those who had made them.

Later I thought to myself, "There is a spiritual lesson here." There is a course to follow with the most important finish line and the most valuable prize. There is a map to show us the course to take: the Bible. It is up to each person to become familiar with that map. Each person should spend time daily in the Word of God, learning the course. We need to know what roads to avoid and what rules to follow to be the best spiritual athlete possible. Matthew 7:13-14. Prayer, study, obedience, and discipline are part of our continual training. As we continue to train, we will become coaches or trainers for others to find their way to the correct course. Fellow Christians help each other stay on the correct path by being a light to look like Jesus, making the way easier to find and warning each other when we get off the path. There are no shortcuts to the finish line. Should we get off course and not return, we will be permanently disqualified.

We do not get to choose our beginning or our end on this earth. Some will be running the Christian race longer than others. Keep sprinting to the finish line.

"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." — Philippians 3:14

In a physical race, the first person to cross the finish line wins the gold medal. In the spiritual race, everyone who crosses the finish line wins a much better prize: entering into the arms of Jesus to hear the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:23)

2 Timothy 4:7-8: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."



Be like Paul. Run your race with joy. (Acts 20:24)

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