12 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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We have this view of living the Christian life, or as the writer of Hebrews would say, "running the race", as we are all on the same race track whether it be circular or a mapped out marathon course, and some super Christians are way out ahead and then the rest of us are behind sucking wind. This view leads to pride on the part of the leaders and feelings of inadequacy on the part of the "also rans". Not only that, it takes our focus off the one we are supposed to be fixing our eyes on and gets us focusing on other believers comparing ourselves to them.
Many years ago in residency, I spent two months at Slone Kettering Cancer Hospital in New York City training in Oncologic surgery. My wife and I had very little free time but when we did, we would explore bits and pieces of the city which is basically an island with an exit to New Jersey through the Jersey tunnel. I started getting a different paradigm of the "Christian Race" also due in part from reading some Charles Colson. Colson states that as he flew into his city one night he saw lights in all parts and started thinking of the members in his church who lived in those parts. Then he was able to locate his church building and suddenly it hit him - the Church wasn't the building but rather the whole city with different members sitting, so to speak, in different pews throughout the city. So, getting back to NYC, I like to picture the Christian race as we, as Christians are all dropped off in the center of the city and told we have a lifetime to get to the Jersey tunnel and out of the city. I think that those who are interested in business might go past Wall Street. Those who are interested in international affairs would go past the U.N. building. Artistic people might go through Greenwich village and people that like singing and dancing would pass through Broadway. People interested in education might end up at Cornell while people interested in medicine, like me, might end up at 70th and York on their way out of town.
This paradigm works for a number of reasons. First it emphasizes that God has gifted us all with different SHAPE (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experience) and because of that we all have individual unique races marked out for us. Secondly it gets rid of judging, comparing and pride because no one is on the same path as you so how can they tell you how to run it? And third, the race God has us run shouldn't be something that is no fun. God loves us and wants us to enjoy serving him. Campus Crusade in the 4 Spiritual Laws wrote "God Loves You and has a Wonderful Plan for your Life". Although this has come under fire by the Chans and Platts of this world, what I get from that statement is that you have such unique interests, passions, experiences and gifts that God has picked out an exciting, rewarding (not easy or without pain), energizing plan for your life and wants to know if you are all in and will go wherever He leads.
As Steven Curtis Chapman once wrote
Saddle up your horses
We've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's Amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the Glorious unknown
This is the life like no other
This is the great adventure
We have this view of living the Christian life, or as the writer of Hebrews would say, "running the race", as we are all on the same race track whether it be circular or a mapped out marathon course, and some super Christians are way out ahead and then the rest of us are behind sucking wind. This view leads to pride on the part of the leaders and feelings of inadequacy on the part of the "also rans". Not only that, it takes our focus off the one we are supposed to be fixing our eyes on and gets us focusing on other believers comparing ourselves to them.
Many years ago in residency, I spent two months at Slone Kettering Cancer Hospital in New York City training in Oncologic surgery. My wife and I had very little free time but when we did, we would explore bits and pieces of the city which is basically an island with an exit to New Jersey through the Jersey tunnel. I started getting a different paradigm of the "Christian Race" also due in part from reading some Charles Colson. Colson states that as he flew into his city one night he saw lights in all parts and started thinking of the members in his church who lived in those parts. Then he was able to locate his church building and suddenly it hit him - the Church wasn't the building but rather the whole city with different members sitting, so to speak, in different pews throughout the city. So, getting back to NYC, I like to picture the Christian race as we, as Christians are all dropped off in the center of the city and told we have a lifetime to get to the Jersey tunnel and out of the city. I think that those who are interested in business might go past Wall Street. Those who are interested in international affairs would go past the U.N. building. Artistic people might go through Greenwich village and people that like singing and dancing would pass through Broadway. People interested in education might end up at Cornell while people interested in medicine, like me, might end up at 70th and York on their way out of town.
This paradigm works for a number of reasons. First it emphasizes that God has gifted us all with different SHAPE (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experience) and because of that we all have individual unique races marked out for us. Secondly it gets rid of judging, comparing and pride because no one is on the same path as you so how can they tell you how to run it? And third, the race God has us run shouldn't be something that is no fun. God loves us and wants us to enjoy serving him. Campus Crusade in the 4 Spiritual Laws wrote "God Loves You and has a Wonderful Plan for your Life". Although this has come under fire by the Chans and Platts of this world, what I get from that statement is that you have such unique interests, passions, experiences and gifts that God has picked out an exciting, rewarding (not easy or without pain), energizing plan for your life and wants to know if you are all in and will go wherever He leads.
As Steven Curtis Chapman once wrote
Saddle up your horses
We've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's Amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the Glorious unknown
This is the life like no other
This is the great adventure
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