Did you happen to watch the Olympic 100 meters? Talk about a nail-biting finish. The first and second place were as close as close gets.

Noah Lyles won the 100 meters by an incredible .005 seconds to beat Kishane Thompson of Jamaica.

It was probably the closest ever 1-2 finish in the 100 meters in Olympic history. Lyles won in 9.784 seconds—by five-thousandths of a tick of the clock. One website puts it like this: “The blink of an eye takes, on average, .1 second, which was 20 times longer than the gap between first and second in this one.”

Both Lyle and Thompson gave it their all, as did the other athletes and competitors. I doubt anyone gets to Olympic-level sports without aiming for the prize. They don’t just cruise along to success. They train. They discipline themselves. They keep their eyes fixed on the medal.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul writes this: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever

Friends, this verse is not about edging out the competition. Each of us is given a different race, not just a different track. This is about how we run the race that is marked out for us.

Motivation Matters

In our culture today, eternity and eternal rewards are diminished and dismissed. But, when we run with eternal rewards as our motivation, we will live right now in a way that honors and glorifies God. If we run with earthly rewards as our motivation, we will likely live to glorify ourselves. Run with your eyes fixed on Jesus and your mind fixed on the prize of eternal rewards. That’s the crown that will last forever.

Training Counts

There is no point in running with the right motivation if we are unwilling to be trained and disciplined. The simple truth is training is tough.

I recently read an excerpt from a book by tennis great Novak Djokovic about self-discipline. (Considering I don’t do sports, I’m surprising myself with my analogies today.)  Djokovic famously says that he allowed himself just a small sliver of chocolate after his grueling win over Rafael Nadal in the 2012 Australian Open final. After staying off chocolate for a year and a half, he popped one piece and let it melt on his tongue. “That was all I would allow myself. That is what it has taken to get to number one.”

Thankfully, we don’t have to get to number one since we’re each in an individual race that God has designed for us. But we do have to train. The question is, how might the Lord be training you? Perhaps He is freeing you from an addiction to your phone which distracts you from running with perseverance (true story for me). Or maybe it’s how you’ve prioritized work over your time with God. Remember, the Lord disciplines those He loves. Are you and I willing to be trained by Him even when it’s downright difficult?

Perseverance Pays Off

The author of Hebrews tells us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. The race in the Christian life is not a 100-meter dash. It is a marathon. Not the kind of marathon with people championing you with motivational banners and electrolytes along the way. But the kind where you plod on while a bunch of detractors boo you from the sidelines.

But there seems to be a pre-requisite for the race: Scripture reminds us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” (Hebrews 12: 1). Here’s a well-verified fact: Olympic runners don’t carry giant Stanley cups of ice-cold water when they run. Tennis stars don’t hold their iPhones in one hand while they serve an ace. We can’t run our race well unless we “throw off everything that hinders.” May we ask God to show us the “Stanley cups” in our race. What are the good things we hold on to that might hinder us from running with perseverance? Are we willing to let God loosen our grip on our schedules, our habits, our social circles, our shopping compulsions, our media consumption, our ______? You and I know what is occupying our minds, our hearts, and our hands. At the end of the race, may we exclaim like Paul, “I have finished my race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness…” (2 Timothy 4: 7-8)

Friend, it’s not grit that will get you to that goal. It’s only God. He who began a good work is faithful to bring it to completion. You and I need to be willing to run. He will supply the strength and grace for it. You don’t run alone.

 

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