Starting in the early 1900’s athletic shoes began to undergo major design changes, and running shoes have continued to change to make a shoe that is as light as possible while providing the maximum amount of traction, support, and energy return. Shoes are important to running fast – just ask any little tyke who gets a new pair! “Look at my new shoes. They make me go fast. Watch me.” And away they go, across the front yard to show you the proof.
But changing the way we run in a race also includes changing the way we think about running. As we get older, we realize that to run well, we must also think about running well. We make a conscious effort to stretch to increase our stride, we focus on leaning forward to gain momentum, we consider our breathing so that we can keep our leg muscles oxygenated, and we decide to run with purpose.
In a similar way, part of running the marathon of the Christian life well requires us to change our thought processes about the race. We must realize that the race is not about us, but about Him. It is His story and we are a part of it, and for a short time He places the baton in our hand as we run our part of the race.
I like what Gordon MacDonald tells us about this race in Building below the waterline: “Mastering [spiritual] growth does not depend primarily on measuring ourselves against the saints and heroes. While there is value in learning from their lives, they are among the cloud of witnesses…. They remain in the stands as we run our leg of the race. We cannot match ourselves against their performances. Rather, our eyes are to be upon the One who runs with us. Thanks be to God who is alongside of us when we run, who hoists us back up when we fall, who redefines direction when we are lost, who cheers us on when we grow fatigued, and who presents us to the Father when we finish our race.”
When we realize that we don’t have to “measure ourselves against the saints and heroes” but rather that we are just to put all our trust in Him and let Him run through us, we find a freedom. I want to run with purpose but I also desire to feel the freedom of contentment in Christ.
MacDonald again: “I asked God for a rebirth of spirit and mind. And I found a wonderful liberation. Liberation from feeling that I always had to be right and had to please [everyone]; liberation from always having to be more successful this year than last year; liberation from fearing that some people wouldn’t like me; a slow and certain liberation that said, Be content to be a pleasure to Christ, a lover to your spouse, a grandfather to your children’s children, a friend to those who want to share life with you, and a servant to your generation.”
The race isn’t a competition. Neither is it a quick 40-yard dash. It is a long marathon where we learn how to run with purpose in one direction for a long time. Let us not worry about competing with each other, but with serving Him well. Let us think in new ways about the race – realizing that serving our family, our friends, and our community with the love of Christ is the goal.
How do you keep your eyes on the goal and running the marathon race of the Christian life with purpose?
— brian rushing