My children enjoy running; this is something I have never said about myself. Yesterday our son-in-law ran his first full marathon. Amazing!
What’s even more admirable is he ran a race that had been cancelled. It takes months to train for a marathon. Little conditioning runs, followed by rest days build to longer days of training until training runs exceed the twenty-mile length. He had trained for this and he was committed to the cause.
Our youngest daughter just had her first half-marathon cancelled but she is also still training and will run her race regardless.
Commitment.
“You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! 25 Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. ” I Corinthians 9:24-25 CEV
Because their races have been cancelled the only prize they won or will win is the prize of achievement, of knowing they worked hard and didn’t give up. They have competed against their own physical pain and exhaustion and won.
What an example! An example for daily life.
When Jesus came to earth he came with one purpose; He came to restore the relationship between God, the Father, and mankind. He came on a mission of love. I’m sure He must have felt like giving up and quitting multiple times but He kept the goal forefront in His heart.
He was asked once what was the most important law to live by and His answer was quick and simple. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.
He told the disciples that they were to keep one commandment when He was gone; love one another and then the world would know that they were His disciples. What kept Jesus on track the whole time He was here was His goal to love the world and to give His life for them, and for us.
Never did He do an unloving thing. Even when He chased the merchants out of the Temple it was done in love; love for the Father, love for the people who were being cheated.
“Very few people will die to save the life of someone else, even if it is for a good person. Someone might be willing to die for an especially good person. 8 But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:7-8 ERV
His final act of love on this earth occurred on the cross. He gave his life for us and His final words, like the words of a runner, were “it is finished”. He had crossed love’s finish line and been true to His purpose.
“I mean that while we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through his Son’s death. And the fact that we are now God’s friends makes it even more certain that he will save us through his Son’s life. 11 And not only will we be saved, but we also rejoice right now in what God has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God’s friends.” Romans 5:10-11 ERV
Because of His love, because He finished the course, we receive the prize. We are the victors. We win love’s greatest gift, eternal life!
We’ve been given the same instruction that the disciples received. Love one another! Let’s be committed to the cause – let’s run our race with the love of God in our hearts.
We win because love never quits!