What Does It Take to Run the Race of Faith?
By Lynette Kittle
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” - 2 Timothy 4:7
Do you ever feel like giving up on your efforts to live a godly life? If so, you’re not alone. Life can seem like a rat race at times, where we just keep doing the same things over and over again. It has a way of wearing us down, along with people who seem more willing to point out our faults and failures than to encourage us or lend us a helping hand. Failures, disappointments, and heartaches can all make us feel weary in continuing to try. Yet, God encourages us onward and forward in life, cheering us on and encouraging us to keep running the race of faith for as long as we live on earth.
What Does It Take to Run?
Like preparing for a physical race on earth, we need to know what it takes to participate in the race. Following are four ways to run the race God has set before us.
1. Run by preparing to win the prize.
Scripture describes our keeping the faith in life, like running a race. 1 Corinthians 9:24 asks us, “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.”
2. Run by training to race.
1 Corinthians 9:25 goes to describe how “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.” So what kind of training do we need to do? 1 Timothy 4:8 points out, “For physical training is of some value, but holiness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
3. Run like we’re being watched.
Scripture tells us that we have many watching us in the race. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). Although we might not know exactly what it looks like or how it’s possible to have a vast crowd looking in on us, we can be assured God’s word is telling us the truth concerning it, and that one day, we’ll see clearly how they had a window to our world. Like 1 Timothy 6:12 urges us to do,
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
4. Run by fixing our eyes on the prize.
What is the prize? Jesus, He is the One we are running to in faith. Keeping the course in our race is dependent on our “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Intersecting Faith and Life:
How is your race going? What is helping you stay the course? Are you preparing to win by training yourself in holiness? Is your heart moved and motivated by the countless witnesses who are cheering you on? Or are your eyes set on the One who keeps you running, Jesus?
Further Reading:
How Can A Christian Finish the Race of Faith Well?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/BrianAJackson
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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