Run Your Race!

By Alexandra Copeland 

At the time in biblical history when the Apostle Paul ministered the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there were detractors to his ministry, just as there are for many of us today. In modern times, we refer to them as ‘haters’. This may not have been the term the Apostle used, but it perfectly defines those who followed him around as he taught and ministered to God’s people, and tried to steal his shine. They were self-aggrandizing and arrogant, praising themselves as Paul said in 2Corinthians 3:1 by parading their letters of recommendation. Some things never change. There are still people who believe a degree supersedes qualifications that only God can give. On the flip side of that, I’ve encountered many folks who will not listen to the gospel unless it is spoken from the lips of someone with Dr. in front or Ph.D. in back of their names. We’re as title hungry as ever, and I’m confident that Paul would reprimand us with the love of God as masterfully as he did those who were frontin’ back in his day.  

Paul said in 2Corinthians 3:2-3(NLT), “2 The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. 3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.” It is the spiritual transformation from the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that changes a person, and through Christ, renders them almost unrecognizable to their old selves. This is the kind of transformation our eyes must not ever veer away from. It’s the change that should be our first priority and the goal we all aspire to achieve.

2Corinthians 5:18(NKJV) makes every Christian’s mission clear. It tells us, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,” God has gifted each of us in a unique way to move forward in the ministry of reconciliation that Christ has commended into our hands. No one can do what you do, quite the way that you do it. One of the greatest mistakes that we make is to underestimate the purpose to which we have been uniquely and specifically called. We miss so many opportunities to both be a blessing and receive a blessing because our eyes are closed to the influence and impact we can have on the lives of others. We need to wake-up!

It is precisely because of our influence within the earth through the Lord Jesus Christ that the enemy wants to snuff out our lights. Your destiny in the Plan and Will of God is far greater and impactful than you can know, and when the enemy catches a whiff of you seeking to go higher in the Lord, he sends detractors much like the ones the Apostle Paul dealt with. They will attempt to work against you and undermine your efforts. There are situations from our past, and circumstances in our present that the enemy will try to use to shame us, or keep us from progressing in the Lord. These things can catch us completely off guard sometimes. We are surprised by the tricks, devices, and the degree to which the enemy fights against us; but we absolutely must be confident of this one thing; whenever and wherever the challenges are great, the rewards will be greater. 

  

Heavenly Father, through the teachings of Paul, reminds us of the prize, because so often we forget it. In 1Corinthians 9:24 (NLT), he tells us, "Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!" Hebrews 12:1 tells us that God has set a race before each of us. RUN YOUR RACE! We haven’t reached the finished line. We’re not yet the person we will be, but we’re not what we used to be, Praise the Lord! We are becoming the men and women that God has called each of us to be. We have not made it there, but we are heading in that direction. Our mistake is to become so distracted in what is happening around us, or happening TO us, that we forget what God is doing IN us. It only takes a second for an athlete to look away and lose the race. If we take our eyes off God for one second, the enemy can use it to get us off track.  

Colossians 2:7 tells us to let our roots grow down into Christ, as we build our lives upon him. God is helping us to develop deep roots in Christ, and to be anchored in His Word. We think we know ourselves so well, and that when strong winds blow we will not be moved, but we would be surprised to learn how quickly we would lose our way without the work that God is currently doing in our lives. He wants the foundation of Christ to be firmly in our hearts, so that we will not falter as we continue going higher in him. Detractors and detractions are plentiful, and we cannot forget who we are, whose we are, and what we are called to do, which is to be ambassadors for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! 

  

Pressure and obstacles come with ambassadorship. The stakes are high for the enemy; he plots and comes against us, but we are not without defense. The Lord is our Keeper. The psalmist, David, understood what it is to be under tremendous pressure and obstacles. Saul, the King of the Israelites, was constantly on his trail. He wanted David dead, out of the picture completely, because he was jealous and afraid of losing his power. A great warrior for God, David was not a wimp nor a complainer, but like many of us, he grew weary of running at times. In Psalm 121:1-2 (NLT) he said, “1 I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!” Sometimes we will face situations that we know is beyond human capability to resolve. God must step in and help us, and this is what makes David’s song so precious. 

He knew to look up, beyond the mountain of problems that seem to surround all of us sometimes. He knew that his help would come from God, the Creator of the universe. We have this same assurance.  

James 4:8 tells us to come close to God and He will come close to us. Don’t be phased by those who seek to disqualify your race or make you think less of your gifts, talents, and abilities. Run your race! Never take your eyes off of God, and know that He will protect, cover, energize, and keep you as you run the race He has set before you.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.