Sunday morning, I was sitting in the pew, soaking up a wonderful message that our Youth Pastor was preaching. Near the end of the message he made a statement that got me to thinking....kind of a Ah Ha moment, if you will. He was preaching from Deuteronomy 10: 12 on the 4 things that God wants from us: He wants us to fear Him, follow Him, fall in love with Him, and faithfully serve Him,. "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all they soul.."
As he was ending his message, he brought up about serving Him by helping others. He brought up about running our race, and helping others run theirs. My mind began to turn....the scripture in 2 Timothy 4:7 played in my mind: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."....and something stood out to me. Timothy said, 'I have finished my course...'
Hold up.....wait a minute....he FINISHED his course....he said nothing about winning, or beating anyone else. Do you see where I am going with this?? We don't have to worry a thing about winning our race...why? Because Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, has already WON for us!! All we have to do is participate....we are already winners!!!!! This is nothing new, I've heard that preached many times, as I am sure you have too....but, here is what stood out to me....
As humans, we compete. Competition is part of our DNA. Some have more of a competitive nature than others...but we all have it. We use that competition to drive us to do better, to do more, to excel. We use it to motivate us....and, frankly, just to get some folks moving! It's human nature to want to compete and win over others! Don't think so?? Well, have you ever been to any sporting event...ever?? We start pretty much at birth....when your baby starts to walk....how do you, often, times get them going in a direction you want them to go...when they don't seem to want to budge?...Well, you say, in your cutest little baby voice..."I'm gonna beat you!" Off you go...what happens?? That baby begins to smile and begins to run to beat you!! It's who we are!
Let's step back a moment....look at it spiritually and not fleshly. Galations 5:24-25, "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and the lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." As I said earlier....this life, this race, has nothing to do with winning! He has already won! We are ALL winners through Him!! Thank you, Jesus!! We've got to step out of our 'human-ness' and realize that it is not a competition either!
While competition has it's place in our earthly society, it does not in our spiritual one! I work with over 1300 children every day. I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard, 'Hey, he 'cutted' in front of me!" or for every time I have told them, 'Slow down and walk! Stay in your line....you are all going to the same place, and no one gets a prize for being the first in the classroom!' DING DING DING!! I need to apply that to my spiritual walk! Jesus Christ has won the race for us....we ALL get the prize! No one gets any more of Heaven than any other Christian!!
So....let's stop competing with each other, in a race where we all receive the blue ribbon! Instead of instinctively competing...let's stop and help each other along the way! You see a brother or sister who is lagging behind....we are to go to them, and help them. Some get so 'spiritual' that their human nature of competition kicks in and they go along their race passing others, not seeing their need, much less stopping to help! God help me to continually realize that the race has already been won...we have no better benefits by trying to beat each other to the finish line. The benefit is helping each other along the way....only then do we see and show the true love of Jesus Christ!
