I was reading a devotional last week and came across the story of John Stephen Akhwari.
He was a marathon runner for Tanzania in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. The winner of that race was an Ethiopian runner named Mamo Wolde. More than an hour later, after most of the crowd had already gone, the sounds of sirens and police whistled could be heard as one final runner made his way towards the stadium to run the final 400 meter lap to finish the race. As he made his way to the track the few remaining spectators could see his bandaged and bleeding leg- he had fallen and injured it earlier, but he didn’t let it stop him. When he was interviewed later, someone asked him why he did not quit since he had no chance of winning, he replied,
“My country did not send me 5000 miles to start the race, they sent me 5000 miles to finish the race.”
Likewise, God has sent us to not only finish our race, but to run well!
I love the image of a marathon runner, battered and weary, digging down deep and finding just enough to sprint to the finish.
Contrast the beginning of a marathon with the finish
at the start, there's a huge crowd, bursting with energy and excitement. New shoes and tidy sparking clean running clothes.
Then, at the end of the race- a trickle of sweaty, dirty, panting runners push themselves to the limit to somehow get to the finish line.
Then there’s the sprinter! Both images will work. The sprinter bursts out from the starting blocks and barely breaks a sweat as he speeds towards the finish.
I think of my daughter Kimberly as the sprinter style- she ran well but the path she was given was relatively short, like a 100 yard dash.
Older saints maintain a steady, marathon-like pace, placing one foot in front of the other, treading the path laid out for them.
Let’s pursue God together by running whatever race He set in front of us and discover the life-path that He planned for us!
Our key verse today is
Acts 20:24 (NIV)
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
‘My only aim’. Archers and target shooters can only shoot at one target at a time. Paul here states that for him, there is only one bulls-eye:
Finish the race! His Jesus-given task was simply to “testify to the good news of God’s grace.
I think we make our lives too complicated. We focus on the ‘minors’ and forget the ‘majors’. Let’s agree with Paul and make this ‘our only aim’ as well.
I’d like to give us 5 points, 5 D's for ‘Running the race’ successfully.
First, Direction:
If we have set our ‘Aim’ to finish the race, we have to first establish the course, right? We have to know where we are going!
Roy Riegels
In this picture from the Rose Bowl game from 1/1/1929, we see a Cal player running towards the ‘Goal Line’. He is followed by some team mates sprinting towards the ‘finish line’.
In 2003 this moment was called by the college Football Hall of Fame and CBS Sports one of the 6 most memorable moments in college football history!
Can you imagine the joy of being Roy Riegels that day creating such a memorable moment?
Well, let me tell you the story:
The 1920s saw the first golden age of California football, as the Golden Bears went 50 straight games without a defeat from 1920 to 1925, with a record of 46 wins and 4 ties. As of 2010, this is the 3rd longest unbeaten (not to be confused with winning) streak in NCAA history. The 1920–1924 squads were so dominant that they were nicknamed "The Wonder Teams," and were coached by Andy Smith. One of the stars during this era was Brick Muller and the University later established a freshman leadership group called the Brick Muller Society. Cal won four conference championships and made three trips to the Rose Bowl during this decade, in 1921 (28–0 win over Ohio State), 1922 (0–0 tie with Washington & Jefferson), and 1929 (8–7 loss to Georgia Tech).[3]
Riegels played center on the 1928 University of California football team which had 6–1–2 record going into the Rose Bowl game. Riegels led the Golden Bears in conference minutes played that season, and he was voted onto the All-Coast team. He was a good blocker, but his strength was playing "roving center" on defense, similar to present day middle linebacker position. Cal's coach Nibs Price called Riegels 'the smartest player he ever coached'. Cal's Rose Bowl opponent was undefeated and had outscored its opponents 213 points to 40 after nine games played.The Rose Bowl game was broadcast nationally by radio during this time. On January 1, 1929, the Golden Bears faced the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, USA.
Midway through the second quarter, Riegels, who played center, picked up a fumble by Tech's Jack "Stumpy" Thomason. Just 30 yards away from the Yellow Jackets' end zone, Riegels was somehow turned around and ran 69 yards in the wrong direction. The following describes what transpired from Riegels perspective:[7]
I was running toward the sidelines when I picked up the ball," Riegels told The Associated Press. "I started to turn to my left toward Tech's goal. Somebody shoved me and I bounded right off into a tackler. In pivoting to get away from him, I completely lost my bearings. —Roy Riegels
Teammate and quarterback Benny Lom chased Riegels, screaming at him to stop. Known for his speed, Lom finally caught up with Riegels at California's 3-yard line and tried to turn him around, but he was immediately hit by a wave of Tech players and tackled back to the 1-yard line. The Bears chose to punt rather than risk a play so close to their own end zone, but Tech's Vance Maree blocked Lom's punt for a safety, giving Georgia Tech a 2–0 lead.[8][9]
After the play, Riegels was so distraught that he had to be talked into returning to the game by coach Nibs Price for the second half. Roy said "Coach, I can't do it. I've ruined you, I've ruined myself, I've ruined the University of California. I couldn't face that crowd to save my life." Coach Price responded by saying "Roy, get up and go back out there — the game is only half over."[12]
Riegels did play, and he turned in a stellar second half performance, including blocking a Tech punt. In addition, Lom passed for a touchdown and kicked the extra point, but that was not enough. Tech would ultimately win the game and their second national championship 8–7. Georgia Tech's safety score after the wrong way run made the difference in the outcome of the game, which increased the significance of Roy's mistake.
In spite of the loss, the example of how the distraught Riegels was persuaded to pick himself up, return to the field and play so hard during the second half is sometimes used by motivational speakers to illustrate overcoming setbacks.[13]
Looking back on the play years later, Regiels said "I was embarrassed when I realized what I had done. I wanted a hole to open in the ground so I could jump in it. But that soon passed, and I reached a stage when mention of it would cause me to bristle. Soon that passed and it has never really bothered me since, except in cases when people tried to exploit it." Riegels was reminded of his mistake throughout his life. Riegels once said: "All the times I've run across or heard people saying 'wrong way,' even though they weren't referring to me, I immediately turned around to see if they were speaking about me. I still don't understand how I did it."[1] Riegels dealt with his situation by laughing about what happened.[9][13] Riegels once joked "If I had to do it again, I'd still run in the same direction, for I surely thought I was going the right way.
Riegels later sent letters to athletes who made similar mistakes. For example, Minnesota defensive end Jim Marshall during an NFL game in 1964 between the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers, ran a recovered fumble 66 yards into his own end zone (resulting in a safety, but the Vikings won 27–22). Riegels reportedly later sent Marshall a letter reading "Welcome to the club".[27]
In later years, Riegels said his blunder made him a better person. "I gained true understanding of life from my Rose Bowl mistake," he said in an interview with the Pasadena Star. "I learned you can bounce back from misfortune and view it as just something adverse that happened to you."[28]
Knowing we’re on the right path or course is so important! It doesn’t do much good to sprint if we’re going the wrong way!
Fortunately, we have something to rely on to help us keep our bearings when we get ‘shoved’ and disoriented by life:
Proverbs 3:5-12 (AMP)
5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
I could spend the rest of our time on this passage alone! It pretty much speaks for itself. God promises to keep us on the right path as we TRUST and place our confidence in Him!
Acknowledging Him is key and it simply means to ‘know and recognize’ Him, giving Him the freedom to keep you going forward on the path.
I think we may miss this by over spiritualizing it! I believe our heart attitude needs only to simply turn to His frequency!
Once we have established ‘Direction’, the next thing we need to hit the target is
Discipline
1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV)
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
It is possible to know the course and be pointed in the right direction. But here Paul says we need to run to win!
As anyone that has played in competitive sports knows, the difference between winning and losing is in preparation!
Preparation involves discipline- practice, practice practice!
Discipline in the life of the believer is discussed in detail in the classic book ‘Celebration of Discipline’ by Richard Foster. He breaks it down into 3 categories and 12 ‘disciplines’:
Inward- Meditation, Prayer, Fasting, Study
Outward- Simplicity, Solitude, Submission, Service
Corporate- Confession, Worship, Guidance, Celebration
I believe that Discipline/ Discipleship is simply forming good habits.
We’ll take some time to look at these 12 ‘Disciplines’ in future messages. For now, it’s important that we recognize the importance of discipline in the life of the Christ follower.
The third D is Durability (Endurance)
Many vital scriptures encourage us to ‘Press on’:
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers and sisters, 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. Philippians 3:12-14
Highlights in this verse include the words: Forgetting (the past),
Straining toward (forward!),
press on (even against all odds),
win the prize (God’s custom made prize).
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,
Jer 12:5 NIV
“If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble[a] in safe country,
how will you manage in the thickets by[b] the Jordan?
The third ‘D’ is Dependence:
On God-
Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 46:4 NIV
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
And on each other-
Galatians 2:1-2 (NIV)
2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.
The 4th D is Diligence
Ecclesiastes 9:10-11 (NIV)
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might ...
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,
Might and perseverance equals diligence!
As a parent, I spent many pleasant days sitting in the stands watching my kids perform in different sports. I like to think that knowing that their mother and I being in the stands made them feel loved and supported.
This verse makes me think that we’re supposed to get the same feeling knowing that our loved ones that have gone before us are cheering us on as we make our way through life’s ‘race’.
Through all these ‘D’s there’s just one more:
Done! (unsuccessfully tried to find a better ‘D’ word- lol)
2 Timothy 4:7-8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
What better Epitaph? What better thing to be said at our Memorial Services? I think we’ll have a tremendous sense of relief and exuberance as we cross that finish line! The only thing after that will be to step up on the platform and listen for these words:
‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[e] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matt 25:21 ESV
Let’s run hard- the ‘Crown’ that’s waiting for us is so beyond any Gold medal, trophy, or ribbon that this world offers! Amen?
