THE AMAZING RACE

Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

A couple of years ago, the CBS television network introduced a new reality program called The Amazing Race. Ten 2-person teams race around the world--via train, bus, jet, or any other mode of transportation--from one point to the next, to get their instructions for the next challenge. The key is to get to a designated finishing point during each stage before everyone else. The last team to make it to each finishing point is eliminated. The ultimate goal is for one team to win one million dollars.

I believe that Jesus' followers are also in a race that God has set for them. We desire to run faithfully. But then life happens--distractions, disappointments, failures, and sufferings. Life tends to cause us to take unplanned detours. How do we run this race so that we can reach the goal God has set for us?

The apostle Paul captured part of the answer in Philippians 3:12-14. We need to be honest. Paul admitted that there was room for improvement in his Christian walk. As followers of Jesus, we live with the constant tension of who we are and who we desire to become in Him. We are in process, making progress in our relationship with Jesus. We are imperfect people who serve a perfect Savior, and He gives us grace to be conformed to His image.

Because being in process is a burden, we must forget the past and focus on the future. Paul didn't allow his past failures and successes to prevent his forward motion. I'm convinced that looking back is a sure way of preventing us from moving forward. Just as
past failures can make us afraid, past successes can make us lazy. We can move forward despite our failures because Jesus has forgiven us. We can move forward despite our successes because Jesus has new mountains for us to climb.

We race--not for a million bucks--but for that ultimate prize of being like Jesus. We all long to hear our Lord say: "Well done, My good and faithful servant. You've run an amazing race!" --Marvin Williams

DESTINATION POINTS

* What kind of race are you running for Jesus?
* What spiritual workout or training this week will help you run more faithfully?
* In what way can you renew your commitment to press on toward the goal of being like Jesus?

LINKS:
Strong to the Finish
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cr/8r3/8r3061.html

bottom line: Becoming like Jesus is a marathon, not a sprint.

soul journey