July 16, 2019 Pastor’s Pondering

Run the Race
 
Millions of people are into Nascar. That is the sport where grown men and women drive cars that look like a ‘Hot Wheel’ toy around in circles. I have to admit I used to watch this on Sunday afternoons occasionally. They travel around the track up to possibly 800 times in just a few hours as they travel 400 to 500 miles with the goal of ending up as the one who finishes first.
 
These men and women are great athletes who are in tip top condition in order to have the stamina to finish the grueling trip. Each driver is being directed by a spotter up high in the stands telling them what is happening. They are running at speeds well over 100 miles an hour trying to avoid crashing themselves or into others.
 
The fans go for different reasons but one is always the possibility of a massive crash, and, hoping no one is hurt, but a spectacular crash none the less. When a crash occurs the car is moved to the “pit” a location where they can be fixed if possible and sent back out to finish the race. Occasionally they are not repairable and do not finish the race.
 
This got me pondering the Christian life. The apostle Paul said in: (2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.) Think about your life today. What race are you truly running? Are you running a race for your faith or just running? So often we can get caught in this life running a 100 miles an hour in circles thinking we are running the race being diligent for the faith but in reality we are just running in the world with a little Jesus sprinkled here and there.
 
That is not the race Paul is speaking of, he is saying we are to be focused on the race that is focused on God. This is hard to do in the world in which we live. We get pulled in so many different ways that take us away from church attendance, Bible reading and prayer. Oh we have stuff that needs to be done on the farm, the kids have this event, its summer, it’s the only time with family. It’s not bad to do these things but when they interfere with your church attendance and Bible study on a steady basis they become bad.
 
God’s desire is for us to worship with other saints, daily Bible study, prayer and when neglected we become sprinkling our faith instead of being submerged in it. Just as a Nascar driver has to be sold out to finish strong so do we as believers in this race of life for the Faith. Think of Sunday worship as your pit crew, and you need encouragement from them to get through the week and finish strong.
 
Let me encourage each believer to run the race of Faith with all you have for the day you finish and God says well done thou good and faithful servant.