“On your mark! Get Set! Go!” You may have heard these words many times, especially when racing your friends in school on the playground when you were younger. I remember a time as a young boy racing my friends on the track at the elementary school to see who was the fastest. We wanted to impress the girls so bad. The thing was, we were in elementary school. What were we going to do with girlfriends? Our ‘reward’ though was hearing the girls say, “Oh wow you’re awesome and so fast!” That boosted our ego every time. Thank God for allowing us to mature and grow up. Much like these races we must race the race of life, but spiritually. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27,
“Do you not know that all those who run in a race run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain it. Everyone who strives for the prize exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one. So, therefore, I run, not with uncertainty. So I fight, not as one who beats the air. But I bring and keep my body under subjection, lest when preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (MEV)
Running may seem fun at a young age but as you get older most people, at least most people that I know, don’t like to run for fun. There are a few that decide to run for sport though just as Paul has mentioned. They run to beat times and to get medals. Something interesting about running track is that when you start you are told to take your mark on the blocks. I’m privileged to know a young track star who is an Olympic hopeful who attends my church. I talked with him about running track and he told me that there were all kinds of techniques you have to learn to run better. The best way to start running off the blocks is to stay low. He said you may want to stay low for about twenty meters, it just depends on what you are trying to accomplish. This I found very interesting. In our walk with God we are running a race with our brothers and sisters in Christ, not against one another. We run against the devil and the evil that comes against us. Ephesians 6:12 says,
“For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (MEV)
We fight the enemy each and every day. How do we beat our enemy and win this race? We have to say low like my friend said. How do we stay low in our spiritual race? We pray and stay low on our knees. We must stay low to win and receive our reward. Matthew 6:6 says,
“But when you pray enter your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (MEV)
There are many verses about prayer in the Word of God and we must search the scripture for ourselves so that we can build ourselves up and be who God wants us to be. We must become the spiritual athlete that God wants us to be. If an athlete does not train then they will not be able to win or compete properly. If we do not train our spirit then we will not be able to run this race that God has marked out for us. There is so much scripture that God has placed in His Word to help us through struggles and time of need. We may fall sometimes but God is there to pick us back up and help us finish the race. We must continue, even when it gets hard, to increase our relationship with Christ so that He may work through us to accomplish His plans He has for us and for this world. When we “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” as Matthew 6:33 says then we will be able to say at the end of our race like Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7-8,
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith. From now on a crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (MEV)
With that being said, I am privileged that God has allowed me to minister in the places I have been and is now allowing me to go minister in eleven different countries. I am running my race with many others. I am running a ‘World Race.’ If you are willing, help support me and my ‘Fam Bam’ team to minister to many around the world. We desire to see many healed, delivered, saved, freed, raised from the dead, and filled with His spirit. We want to see God’s glory and we want you to be a part of it. Help us run this race financially and/or spiritually. Pray for me, pray for us, and pray for those who are lost that they may be found and for the world that they may see the light that shines within us. Thank you in advance. I pray blessings upon you and your family. God sees your heart and your actions.
To my World Racers remember what is said in Hebrews 12:1-3 as we run our race.
“Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and your heart gives up.” (MEV)
Remember we are also here for one another and as Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (MEV)
I’m looking forward to the journey that lies ahead. This is a race worth running and so together let’s fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. God is God and He will never change. His love endures forever and His promises are true. Love and blessings to each of you. Thank you for your support and prayers. God bless.
