Crossing the Finish Line

Crossing the Finish Line

The guys in the picture below are related to me.  The one with the gray T-shirt is my oldest son, Adam.  The one in the blue is my first cousin, Nate.  He is only about a year and a half older than my son and they have been great friends just about all their lives.  

They ran a race together – and as you can see, they crossed the finish line.  When he posted the picture on Facebook, Adam said “Not the fastest, but the toughest.”  They were celebrating – not because they won – but because they finished. 

The Christian life is compared to a race four different times in the New Testament.  In none of these instances is speed mentioned - but endurance and joy are.  In Acts 20:17-24 Paul addresses the Ephesian elders.  He tells them he is on his way to Jerusalem.  The Holy Spirit told Paul “chains and tribulation” await him. 

Paul is still determined to make the journey.  He tells the elders – “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”  This was the race Paul was given to run and he was prepared to finish regardless of the cost. 

Notice how Paul described the gospel.  It is “the gospel of the grace of God.”  Through God’s love for us – He gives us the marvelous grace of the gift of His Son.  Through our love for Him, we willingly, gladly keep the commandments of Jesus. 

God’s grace and our obedience.  What a wonderful combination!

The second time a race is mentioned is in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  Paul tells the Christians in Corinth to run in such a way as to receive a prize because we are competing for an imperishable crown.  He goes on to mention that he keeps himself in subjection so that he does not become “disqualified” even while he is preaching the gospel to others.  It takes endurance and discipline to live a Christ like life. 

Near the end of Paul’s life, he wrote a beautiful declaration of faith.  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all how have loved His appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:7-8

This is why we do what we do.  It is why we run the Christian race – why we stay the course.  Why we can have joy about our ministry, like Paul did.  We will gain an imperishable crown, the crown of righteousness.   Because we, like Paul, “have loved his appearing.” 

So we “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,” (Hebrews 12:1) and we run.  We stick with it.  We look to Christ and know that He will help us because He wants us to be in heaven with Him.  We run our own race.  Each race is a little different.  No one can run my race for me.  We run with endurance.  We run and God rewards. 

Christ above all things – Robin Whitley

Wrong Side Out

Wrong Side Out

I was shopping with Mom.  We were having such a good day!  We went into one store in our local mall.  I tried on several outfits and even bought a couple of them. I was really excited because I hadn’t bought anything new in a while. 

When we went to make our purchases, Mom saw someone she knew.  She is a retired schoolteacher and many of her former students will often chat with her when they see her.  She was a great teacher and very much enjoys catching up with her students when she sees them.

When we checked out, we decided to go somewhere else.  I was feeling great.  As we walked into the store, one of the sales ladies spoke to us.  She even said she liked my shirt.  Of course, that lifted my spirits too. 

I picked out a few more items to try on.  When I got into the dressing room, I looked at myself in the mirror.  I couldn’t figure out where that white piece of paper clinging to shirt came from.  It was when I reached down to grab it that I realized it was the tag from my shirt.  I had it on wrong side out. 

So the lady who said she liked my shirt never realized I had my shirt on inside out.  Or did she?  LOL.  I guess I will never really know for sure.  In the long run, it didn’t really matter.  I’m sure I’m not the first person who ever walked into a store with their shirt on wrong. 

As Christians, we adorn ourselves with the spiritual and that is so much more important than the physical.  Paul describes a beautiful wardrobe for the soul in Colossians 3.  Wait!  Before we get a new wardrobe, we have to get rid of the old one, right?

We are to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, and lying (Colossians 3:8-9).  These are things the old creature is supposed to get rid of.  Whew!  That is a lot to throw away!  A few verses before this Paul said we needed to put to death fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness. (3:5)

Sometimes changing out an entire wardrobe gets a little complicated.  We may want to hold on to a few of our old favorites.  It is not always easy to keep my anger under control, for one thing.  Sometimes I want to wear my feelings out on my sleeve. 

It becomes easier when we discover our new spiritual wardrobe.  The new creature in Christ is “renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” (verse 10)  Let’s think about that.  Our new knowledge of Christ – renews us.  It changes the way we think – how we look at things.  Those of us who know and follow Christ begin to emulate Him.  We become like Him.  We live according to His image.  Isn’t that amazing?!

Our wardrobe then – what we put on as “holy and beloved” Christians – is tender mercy, kindness, meekness, longsuffering.  We bear with one another.  We forgive one another.  That is an important one – if we have a complaint against someone, what do we do?  We forgive one another; even as Christ forgave us.  (Colossians 3:12-13)

The last thing in our closet?  The finishing touch – the thing that makes everything we dress our inner spirit with beautiful? 

“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”  (3:14) And I do not think we can wear these items wrong side out.  Do you?

Christ above all things – Robin