RUN WELL, FINISH WELL! As the Beijing Olympics is just around the corner I could imagine the competitors psyching up, gearing up, and training up for the day of competition. Think of the track and field runner. In first-century track competitions, each runner would be assigned to a lane on the track. Each was expected to stay in his assigned lane. Don’t you know that as Christians we are in a race (1 Cor.9:24-27; Heb.12:1)? But it’s a different kind of a race, in that as you and I run the race of life, our competition is not with other believers. Rather, our competition is with our enemies, who are the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The goal is not to outrun someone else. The goal is to outrun those wicked influences that could bring us down. You might justify your slow pace by pointing to other people still running behind you. True. But there are probably some people ahead of you too. You are not to concern yourself with who is behind you or who is ahead of you. You are to run the race before you. God has not called you to run someone else’s race. We are each called to run our own race.

Two weeks ago, I celebrated my 41st birthday. I know I’m still young (hehe), but I know too that I’m not getting any younger. But you know what? Getting older is not a depressing thought, because from the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ, it has been an adventure. I don’t regret a single day of my life that I have spent following and serving the Lord. Sure, my life has had some surprises. One of them has been seeing people who I never thought would make it in the Christian life make it, and seeing people who I never thought would fall, fall. Some people have a powerful start and then crash and burn. Others have a rather weak start, but somehow pull it together in the end. Best of all, there are some who start and finish the race with flying colors. I want to be one of those people. Don’t you?

“As we make our decisions, our decisions will make us.”

Here is what we need to remember. We do have a say so as to how the race we run will turn out. Let me put it another way. If you want to be a winner in the race of life, then you can be. If you want to be a loser, then you can be. It really comes down to the choices you make on a daily basis. You see, people fall away from the Lord because, for all practical purposes, they choose to. They neglect certain things, and at the same time, allow other things into their lives. As we make our decisions, our decisions will make us. What practical steps can you take today to ensure that you will be running well in the Christian race 5-25 years from now? Think about it…and do something about it…through Christ who strengthens us!