Why Running?

Hebrews 12:1

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

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What if, one morning, you awoke to find yourself standing at the starting line for a race. You find someone has dressed you in runner's gear and outfitted you with the appropriate equipment for a long distance run. You glance quickly over your shoulder at a full water pack and supply of GU energy gel, but before you have time to really ponder the situation, you hear the starting gun and your mind surges adrenaline through your frame, kicking your legs into a slow jog.

Somewhat disoriented, you attempt to process your surroundings. You notice various other runners going in the same direction. A few start out fast, some slow. Some jog alone, and others pace together in groups. Your gaze turns to the road ahead of you; it stretches far beyond your view and dissapears into the horizon line, swallowed up in the distant landscape.

You suddenly realize that this is no 10k. It's a marathon. "What on earth posessed me to sign up for this?" you muse, reaching for your hydro-pack. A deep, cool sip of water throws you into a brisk trot.

The road continues on, as do you. At first, your eyes are fixed on the minute point ahead where road meets horizon, but as you press on, you begin to look around, drawing your gaze from the road and taking in the scenery; the pleasant sights and sounds that eminate from just beyond the road's edge. You don't even notice that your pace has slowed until a friendly voice draws your gaze back to the road and your ears back to the rythmic sound of your tread on the pavement. Grateful for the reminder, you pick up speed. Yet as you do, you become aware of your need for nourishment.

Reaching for your pack, another voice cuts through, penetrating your concentration, offering refreshment if you turn aside for a moment. Your feet begin to stray off the road, and you stumble on uneven ground. Yet before you find yourself completely removed from the road, a strong hand clenches your own and pulls you back to your feet and onto the path. Although glad to be back on familiar ground, your hunger gnaws at your stomach, and your pace drags. Other runners are passing you, intent upon the road ahead. Several come alongside you, and as you strike up conversation, your weariness prompts you to unburden your heart and mind.


"Why am I running this race? Did I really sign up for this? It seems so much more difficult than I expected. The farther I run, the thirstier I become. So many runners are outpacing me. The road is so long. How will I ever finish this? The hills are so high, and my legs are so tired! I'm weary, hungry, thirsty, discouraged. I've never run this race before, and I don't even know much about running. I didn't train for this, and learning as I go is tough. Sometimes, it doesn't seem fair. How can I be expected to run a race without proper conditioning, on an unfamiliar course? I don't know when to expect the hills or valleys. I don't feel ready for this. I'm ill-equipped, untrained. An ameteur runner trying to race a marathon. I frequently forget I've got this pack on my back, and so often want to turn aside for refreshment. I know I've got to keep running, but sometimes I just don't want to, or I lose sight of why I'm running, or I'm weary, or I feel alone. Sometimes, I know I've got to keep running, but I'm just not sure how.
Sometimes, I know I've got to keep running, but I just don't think I can."

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One of my spiritual heroes, Charles H. Spurgeon quoted the following in a sermon on Galatians 5:7.

“The Christian race is by no means easy. We are sore let and hindered in running "the race that is set before us," because of (1) Our sinful nature still remaining in the holiest saints. (2) Some easily besetting sin (Heb. 12:1). (3) The entanglements of the world, like heavy and close-fitting garments, impeding the racer's speed. (4) Our weakness and infirmity, soon tired and exhausted when the race is long or the road is rough.
— "In Prospect of Sunday," by G. S. Bowes

It's so easy to become discouraged, isn't it?
John MacArthur used the following article to expound on the analogy of the Christian life as a race...


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“When I was in college, I was a member of our school's track and field team. I performed best in the sprints, and occasionally the quarter mile. One of my favorite races was the mile relay. Of all the races we ran, the one I remember best is one we didn’t win.

The race started wonderfully—our first runner ran such a great opening quarter-mile leg that as he passed the baton to me, we were tied for the lead. I ran as hard as I could, and as I passed the baton to our third runner, we were in first place. I thought we had an excellent chance to win—our fourth runner was especially fast.

Our third runner took off like lightening around the first curve and down the back stretch. And then the unthinkable happened. He stopped suddenly, walked off the track, and sat down on the grass. I ran over to him, thinking he must have pulled a muscle. When I reached him, he didn't look like he was in pain, so I asked what was wrong. I'll never forget his reply. All he said was, "I don't know—I just didn't feel like running today."


Sadly, many people are like that runner. Somewhere along the way they stopped pursuing a deep, loving relationship with Christ, walked off His path of righteousness, and sat down to rest in their own self-righteousness and the ease of worldly pleasures. But allegiance and love to Christ demand a lifelong commitment. As our Lord Himself said, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).


The apostle Paul understood that priority. His relationship to Christ was the passion of his life: "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from among the dead" (Phil. 3:10-11). But he was under no illusion that he had achieved anything, and he compared his own pursuit of Christ to that of a runner in a race (vv. 12-16). Your spiritual race must have that same sense of dissatisfaction—without it there's no reason to even run. In fact, there are several principles you need to apply as you pursue Him.


Maximum Effort
Considering who Christ is and what He has done for you, your effort should not be less than Paul's: "I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (v. 12). The Greek word translated "press on" was used of a sprinter who ran aggressively. That was the kind of effort Paul exerted—he ran toward Christ with all his might, straining every spiritual muscle to win the prize (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24-27). That ought to be your mindset. There's only one race you ought to be running—and it takes maximum effort using the means of grace God has provided.


No one is going to put forth that kind of effort, however, unless there is some reward at the end. For Paul, and us as well, it is "that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12). Paul's prize, and ours, is the very purpose God had in saving us: "Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). God saved us so that we might become like Christ, and as a result, that should be our lifelong pursuit.


Focused Concentration
If an athlete competing in a race stands any possibility of winning, he must focus on the finish and ignore the distractions along the track, the other competitors, and even the crowd. Likewise, you must concentrate on attaining the goal of Christlikeness and not get distracted by worldly attractions and temptations. Paul was well aware of those dangers. That's why he said, "I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead" (Phil. 3:13).


How do you avoid the distractions of the world? By developing these two attitudes:
First, forget your past. As a runner approaches the starting line, his past performances have no bearing on the race he is preparing to run. The same thing is true when we run the spiritual race in pursuit of Christ—the past is completely irrelevant. Your successes and failures in the past are insignificant to the present, let alone the future. You can't evaluate your usefulness by your former virtuous deeds and achievements in ministry; neither should you be debilitated by past sins and failures.


Second, reach for the goal. Instead of looking back, a good runner is always "reaching forward to what lies ahead" (Phil. 3:13). The Greek word for "reaching forward" refers to an intense stretching to the limit of one's capacity. To run like that, you must forget the past and concentrate only on the goal ahead. Do you have that kind of concentration in your desire to become like Christ? To effectively pursue Christ, you must focus all your concentration on becoming like Him.


Spiritual Motivation
Paul was highly motivated in his pursuit of Christ: "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (v. 14). He was motivated by spiritual matters; he was not caught up in material comforts and worldly pursuits. His goal was to be like Christ, and he would receive his reward when God's upward call came. Christlikeness is both the goal and the prize we pursue.

Remember, this pursuit is objective, not subjective. It is not a mystical experience, but an exposure to the truth about Christ revealed in the Bible. Scripture is the mirror that reflects His glory. And when you gaze at it intently, you become like Him (2 Cor. 3:18).


Divine Assistance
Every believer ought to have the attitude that he or she is not perfect (Phil. 3:15). Those who have that perspective regarding their spirituality will be ready to respond positively to God's correction. But if you have the wrong attitude about your spirituality, if you're content with the current level of your spiritual growth, then God will reveal your true condition. He might do so through chastening (Heb. 12:5-11) or through trials (James 1:2, 4) to build and strengthen your faith and trust in Him.


Consistent Effort
No one can win a race with intermittent effort. Christlikeness cannot be reached with that kind of effort either—it is an ongoing pursuit. So Paul says, "Let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained" (Phil. 3:16). The Greek verb translated "keep living" refers to walking in line. Just as a runner must stay in his lane and keep up the same effort until he reaches the finish, you must stay in line spiritually and keep moving forward toward the goal of Christlikeness.


One summer while visiting Europe, I came across a famous gravestone at the foot of one of those majestic mountains in the Alps. Underneath the individual's name the epitaph reads, "He died climbing." That ought to be your attitude as you pursue Christ. When it's time for the Lord to call you home, you ought to be pursuing Him."

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Oh, friend. I want to die climbing. Do you? I want to "go to heaven tired."

I am beginning this "Runner's Log" in the hope that it will provide encouragement, refreshment, and faithful reminders of the freely available grace of God, to you.

"Grace abounding, strong and true,
it makes me long to be like you,
it turns me from my selfish pride,
to love the cross on which you died .

Grace unending all my days,
will give me strength to run this race,
and when my years on earth are through
the praise will all belong to you."