19 Although I’m free from all people, I make myself a slave to all people, to recruit more of them. 20 I act like a Jew to the Jews, so I can recruit Jews. I act like I’m under the Law to those under the Law, so I can recruit those who are under the Law (though I myself am not under the Law). 21 I act like I’m outside the Law to those who are outside the Law, so I can recruit those outside the Law (though I’m not outside the law of God but rather under the law of Christ).22 I act weak to the weak, so I can recruit the weak. I have become all things to all people, so I could save some by all possible means. 23 All the things I do are for the sake of the gospel, so I can be a partner with it.
24 Don’t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. 25 Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies. 26 So now this is how I run—not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing. 27 Rather, I’m landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won’t be disqualified after preaching to others.
When I read this verse it immediately took me to a chapter that I had recently read in Jen Hatmaker's upcoming book, For The Love (available Aug. 18th). In the chapter Run Your Race, Jen discusses how we are each running our own race, and how we should not only feel encouraged for ourselves, but also cheer along other running beside us. I decided that God had put that chapter in my life to preach to the kids at our church.
On Sunday I went up to the front of the church again with just the general idea. Let's be real here, You can right a script for a children's sermon, but inevitably one of the children is going to start chasing rabbits and throw you off your script, so I prefer to chase rabbits with them instead. :)
I asked them how many of them liked to run, and just about all of them raised their hands. I told them that when I was a kid, I loved to run too, but now that I am an adult, my body is not quite the same, so I do not enjoy running as much. I told them when I am asked to sign up for a race, I usually say no since I do not enjoy running. Then I went on to say if I don't like running does that mean that I can never do races? I asked them what other kind of races there are. I got many answers (car, three-legged, bike, motorcycle, pie-eating - we will save that story for...NEVER!).
I told them that just because I don't like to run, doesn't mean that I can't compete in a race ever again. It just means that I need to find MY race and join in. I told them that this is kind of like how we serve God and our race to the finish line of life. Some people are good at singing in the choir or the band, while others enjoy evangelizing. Some of the them may like to go on mission trips, but some of them may prefer to serve at our church. I told them that each one of those things is important in bringing people in and closer to Christ.
I asked them what they would do if a friend was in a running race and beating them. I asked if they would reach their foot out to trip their friend, so they couldn't be ahead? Many of them shook their head with a horrified look on their face while others giggled. I said that they were right, we shouldn't do that. Tripping their friend is going to make them run any faster, and it's only going to create bad feelings. In that same way, when we see our friends doing well for God, we shouldn't be jealous. We should be proud of them and cheer them on. Their race is not our race.
Plus the race to God is not about who finishes first. It's about doing the best with the gifts and opportunities God has given you. At the end, we don't want a 1st place medal. We just want a seat in Heaven and to hear the words, "Well done." from our Heavenly Father.
My hope for each of you is that you find your gifts, realize your opportunities, and run your race.
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