Gò0dNews for Everyone
Run Your Race
W
by David Huff
hen I was a kid, I participated in track
so that we can finish our race. Paul goes on to say
and field and numerous other sports.
in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Don’t you know that the
Track was something that I excelled
runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives
at, especially since I was a tall, slender kid. Most people think that everybody is super-fast, and in
the prize? Run in such a way to win the race.” For Christians, we all receive a prize, and that
a lot of cases this is not always accurate. Short-
prize is eternal life with Jesus Christ, but there is
distance runners are usually the ones who excel
still a race to be run here on earth. So, we have to
with speed, and they would beat me every time.
lose the chains and weights that hold us back from
However, when you take a short-distance runner
fulfilling the calling that God has given each one of
and put them in my area, which was long-distance,
us, and we will never fulfill that mission if we are
the tables turned. In long-distance running, the runner paces themselves and knows when to turn on the speed and when to coast. Long-distance running is more about endurance than speed. If you come out of the gate too fast, you will run out of energy, too slow, and you will fall too far behind. Knowing your endurance level helps you to run at the right speed. Paul talks about racing with endurance in Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore, since there is such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and
bound by the chains of the past. Our job is to reach
sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run the race
the unsaved by showing Christ-like character, and
with endurance.”
we cannot do that bound by weights and chains. So
Paul is telling us here that unless we lose the
run your race and show others the greatest prize
weight of the world and the things that hold us
there is to win is Jesus. No trophy or reward is
back, then we will not have the endurance to win the
greater than Him.
race in a world that wants to keep us captive to the saying to release them. Yes, some may be hard to do so, but it also allows our endurance to grow stronger
32 // May 2022
About The Author
pains, hurts, and hindrances that we have. Paul is My name is David Huff, and I am married to Brittany and together we have five wonderful kids. We attend Rock Bridge Community Church Calhoun where I serve on the prayer team, host team, and a small group co leader. I am also a senior at Lee University.
