Running to Win

When I was in middle school, I was on my school’s track team. We had driven quite a way to a big track and field event at a college. I had never run in such a large meet before. My school was a tiny, private school, so this day was a big deal. For me, this wasn’t just another race- it was the day I had been training for all year. I was the fastest person on my team (remember, it was a tiny school), and I was hopeful I would win.

We arrived, walked to the field, went through the registration process and with nervous anticipation, waited until our events were called. I can still picture the bleachers, the grassy field in the middle, and the red rubber track.

There were so many kids competing that, before each race, we had qualifying races called heats, in which the top times from each heat would get to run in the final race. I was running the 100-meter dash. My name was called, I lined up, stretched, bounced on my toes.

Then: “On your mark, get set, go!” I ran.

Halfway through the race, I saw that a couple of girls were ahead of me. Knowing I could not pass them, I stopped running and walked off the track. The college kid who was timing my run ran over to me, shouting, “What are you doing? Are you crazy?”

I calmly replied, “I wasn’t going to win.”

 “You could have still qualified,” he yelled!

I shrugged and said, “But I wouldn’t have won.”

I don’t remember what he said after that. I don’t remember if I had any other events that day. All I remember is I lost, because I walked off the track.

The Apostle Paul says that following Jesus Christ is like being in a race, and his goal is to not be disqualified. In the race I was running, I stopped running and walked off the track. And you know what happened? I was disqualified. I didn’t qualify to run anymore.

In only the way that Jesus can, He has taken this foolish behavior of mine and turned it into something good. At the time of that race, I was not a Christian. It wasn’t until my senior year of Highschool that I gave my life to Jesus and started following Him. But I’ve never forgotten what I did that day at that track meet.

Since getting saved, it’s been my goal to run this race with Jesus and never walk off the track. If you asked my husband, “What is your wife’s number one goal?” he would probably say, “To be a Christian her whole life.” Then he would probably add that it’s also my goal for him and for our three kids as well.

My goal is simple: I never want to walk off the track again. I never want to walk away from Jesus. I do not want to be disqualified. I remember so clearly that day on the field. I gave up. I ruined all my chances. I quit so foolishly. But God has turned that moment into one of the biggest life lessons I could ever learn.  

This goal of not being disqualified by walking off the track seems to have been Paul’s goal as well. He writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (CSB): “Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

Paul says that runners race to receive a prize. In that same way, we are to run our race of faith in such a way that we win the prize. Paul uses this metaphor of running many times in his other letters as well.

Philippians 3:12–14 says, “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”

I can’t help but read that passage with the other in mind. He doesn’t mention running, but that’s what I picture. Paul is focused on the goal of the prize, which is to know Christ and to be found in Him, being conformed to Him. He is pursuing this goal, making every effort to take hold of it. He’s not looking behind, he’s reaching forward, striving for that finish line.

We see this same race imagery in Galatians 5:7 when Paul, urging the believers to not become enslaved again to sin, says, “You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth?” Again, he uses a running metaphor, but in this example, to urge the believers to not be distracted or detoured away from the race.

Then, in his final letter near the end of his life, Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing.” Once again, he uses a running metaphor, but this time to explain that he’s fought the good fight, finished the race. I think he says he’s completed the race because he knew he would not live much longer. He was old. He had not walked off the track. He had not given up. He had confidence that he was going to finish well. He had matured in his faith to a place where he knew there was no danger of giving up.

Like Paul, at this point in my race, I can’t imagine giving up. I can’t conceive of any situation what would make me walk off the track. I love Jesus, my whole life is built around running this race. But I’ve still got a long way to go. I know enough to know that this is no time to become lazy or complacent. There are pitfalls, obstacles, injuries, storms and attacks from the enemy which all threaten to take me out. It’s not fear or lack of faith to be on guard against these things- it’s wisdom.

It’s like Hebrews 12:1-2 says: “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Some scholars think Paul wrote Hebrews, but I think it was a different author. While both Hebrews and Paul use the metaphor of running a race to describe the Christian life, there’s a marked difference in tone. Paul writes much more personally. The author of Hebrews does not. Only in four verses is the personal pronoun “I” used by the author of Hebrews. All that to say, whoever wrote Hebrews also uses the metaphor of running, even going so far as to compare Jesus’ life on earth to a race. It says that Jesus, for the joy that lay before Him, endured, kept going, and was not disqualified. He didn’t give up. He endured the cross and reached His goal, and once He was finished, then He sat down on the throne, having won His “race.”

We also see this metaphor being used in the Old Testament. Isaiah 40:31 says, “but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.”

All these passages urge us, as believers, to run well, to not be disqualified, to finish the race of the Christian life. I want to look again at each of these verses, this time focusing on the practical instructions in each one. We’ll see that there are six key steps to winning this race: we must run with discipline, purpose, resolve, confidence, endurance, and hope.

The first step is to: Run with discipline

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (CSB): “Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

If life is like a race, then we should race to win. Do we want to crawl on hands and knees across the finish line? 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 talks about this. At the end of our life, all the things we have done will be judged, and “each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.”

That means you could still be saved, but only as one escaping through a fire. Connecting that passage with the race metaphor, why would we want that to be the end of our race? Don’t we want to receive rewards? We must run with discipline, exercising self-control. We need to train faithfully and bring our flesh into submission, not only to receive the prize, but also to avoid giving up or becoming disqualified.

In his commentary on this verse, MacLaren said, “A great many Christian people seem to fancy that faith supersedes effort. Not so! It stimulates and strengthens effort. If I trust, I receive the power to run, but whether I shall really run or not depends on myself. God gives the ability in Jesus Christ, and then we have to use the ability, and to turn it into an actuality. They have invented a movable platform at the Paris Exhibition, they tell me, on which a man steps, and having stepped upon it is lazily carried to his destination in the building without lifting a foot or moving a muscle. And some people seem to think that Christianity is a platform of that sort, a ‘living way,’ on which, if once they get, they may be as idle as they like, and they will reach their journey’s end. Not so! Not so! By faith we enter on the race; through faith we receive the power that will make us able to run and not be weary, and to walk and not faint. But unless we run we shall not advance, and unless we advance we shall not attain. Understand, then, that faith is the basis of effort, and effort is the crown of faith.”

That is why our second step is to: Run with purpose

Philippians 3:12–14 says, “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”

We have to keep our goal in mind at all times. If we are focused on the past, looking behind us, how will we see where we’re going? We need to keep our eyes on the things that actually matter. If we view all of life through the lens of eternity, then it will help us keep a proper perspective on things.

Also, we should not let our past define us, for it will weigh us down. We are to forget what is behind and reach forward. That means we don’t need to dwell on our past mistakes. The devil would love for us to define ourselves by our past. But if we have confessed our failures to the Lord, repented and moved on, then we don’t need to let those past sins or failures be a weight. We don’t need to run with all that baggage. We can let go of it and hold on to Christ because He has taken hold of us. This is what it means to run with purpose: we are keeping our eyes fixed on the goal, not distracted by the past, but pressing forward toward all that Christ has called us to.

The third step is to: Run with resolve

Galatians 5:7 says, “You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth?”

About this verse, MacLaren wrote: “’Ye did run well; what did hinder you?’ And the answers are diverse: flowers by the roadside, golden apples flung across the course, siren voices tempting us, the force of gravity holding us back, the pressure of the wind on our faces. Yes, and my own self most of all- that is what hinders, and that is what has to be fought against by myself. Effort, effort, effort is the secret of all noble life, in all departments, and it is the secret of advancing Christian life.”

I agree with MacLaren. It takes effort to keep running and not be distracted or detoured. In the same way that the devil tries to weigh us down with our past mistakes, the devil also tries to distract us and detour us from running. We need resolve- we need to be determined to make the effort.

Because we know this, my family and I have arranged our lives in a very different manner from most people. You could say we are hypervigilant. Life is full of pitfalls, so we work from home, we home school, we study and read through the whole Bible every year. We are hyper-cautious about what we allow into our minds through books, music, video games or tv. We choose our friends wisely. I think most people would think that we are too extreme, but we think most people are too careless. This has nothing to do with legalism, this has everything to do with resolve. We have our guard rails up, because we are determined to keep running. We are on alert and cautious, aware that things will pop-up trying to lure us away from the goal.

Paul warns us: false doctrines and new ways of interpreting Scripture are some of the tools the devil uses to stop people from running. Don’t fall for them. Don’t let lies prevent you from obeying the truth. Be resolved to keep running, aiming for the finish line.

If we are running in this way, we can move to the fourth step: Run with confidence

2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing.”

As I mentioned earlier, Paul wrote this verse at the end of his life. It’s a fulfillment of something he said in Acts 20:24. He said, “But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.” Back then, he still had a long way to go, he had a “course” that God had given him to run. Now, at the end of his life, Paul was confident that he had completed the course God had set out for him to do.

I don’t know about you, but these words are profoundly convicting. At the end of my life, I want to be able to say with confidence, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” What greater goal could there be than to accomplish the things the Lord has called us to do?

We don’t have to wait until the end of our lives to have this confidence, though. For even though we may have a long way to go, we can run with confidence. If we are running with discipline, purpose, and resolve, then we can confidently overcome the temptations and obstacles that threaten to trip us up. We are to be strong in the Lord. We do not have to fear the enemy’s attacks, for God, who is in us, is far mightier than the devil. We can run, full of faith, confidently following the course God has laid out for us.

Which brings us to the fifth step, which is to: Run with endurance

Hebrews 12:1-2 says: “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

MacLaren wrote about this passage, too, and said, “I see in it four things: a definite aim, clearly apprehended and eagerly embraced; a God- appointed path; a steady advance; and a strenuous effort. Now let us ask ourselves the question, do they correspond to anything in my professing Christian life?”

Ouch. But it’s a necessary question. Are you running with endurance? Or have you slowed down or stopped altogether? Are you following God’s appointed path? Or are you going your own way? Are you advancing in your spiritual race? Are you trying?

We’re called to keep going. If the Holy Spirit truly dwells within us, then His fruit will be evident in our lives. We should be growing in those holy characteristics, becoming more loving, more patient, more faithful. We should look more like Jesus today than we did a year ago. Our spiritual health should be stronger than it was five years ago.

The longer we run, the easier running becomes. Just like with physical exercise, our spiritual endurance should increase the longer we continue.

If we are running with discipline, purpose, resolve, and confidence, then we will find that our endurance has grown. Things that used to slow us down won’t slow us down any longer. If our eyes are on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, then we can keep going until we reach that finish line.

And that leads us to the sixth and final step, which is to: Run with hope

Isaiah 40:31 says, “but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.”

It might feel overwhelming or exhausting to compare life to a race, but here we see that it need not feel that way. Here we find a promise that offers us hope. If our eyes are on Jesus, and we are trusting in Him, then He will renew our strength. If our hope is in God, then He will give us the strength to run this race and finish well.

In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” If we are following the course set out for us by the Lord, then we can rest, knowing that Jesus is with us. He is running right beside us, having tethered us to His yoke. It is not too hard or difficult. If we don’t stray off His course, then the burden of running is actually light. For if we are running with discipline, purpose, and resolve, then we can run with confidence, enduring whatever troubles we face, for our hope is in Christ’s power to sustain us. That means that whatever obstacles we face, we don’t need to be defeated. Whatever distractions are thrown at us, we can avoid them. We can run, our eyes fixed on Jesus, heading confidently toward that finish line, holding on to hope.

Let us press forward, forgetting what lies behind. Let us set our eyes on Jesus. Let us run with every effort, and never walk off the track, because if we endure to the end, we will reach that finish line.

Pray: Heavenly Father, we pray that You would help us to trust in You so that our strength is renewed, and we can run and not grow weary. We want to finish the course You have laid out for us, and we want to finish well. We want to win the prize You have prepared for us. Please help us, by Your Holy Spirit, to let go of the baggage or sin that weigh us down. Help us to not become distracted and waylaid. Help us to stay focused on our goal, holding on to the hope we have in Christ Jesus. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.