I have been watching coverage of the 2024 Summer Games in Paris over the past few weeks. Something about the Olympics always draws me in, despite the inevitable controversies and politics which create headlines. For me, it’s about the struggle – the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. And the human stories of athletes overcoming all obstacles to achieve life-long goals, then basking in the joy of seeing them to fruition.
The culmination of that joy happens on the podium, where the athletes receive their coveted medal and are honored with their national anthem. There are times when it’s emotional for me as a distant observer, and this year was no different. Something stirs in me, urging me on to greater things in my own life as I share vicariously in these podium moments.
The rest of us may never have a chance to march into an Olympic venue, but we do have our own race to run. And it is a much more important and consequential race than those on display every four years. We are racing for gold, but not in this lifetime. We are racing for glory, but not our own. It’s the treasures of Heaven that we are storing up, and bringing glory to God almighty as we run the race set before us.
The Apostle Paul uses this same metaphor when describing the way he lived his life.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things, they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
Paul had a long-term goal in mind, to live his best life in the Kingdom while here on Earth. He laid hold of his salvation, personally for himself, but also for the benefit of others. His vision was bigger than himself, yet he knew that to achieve his calling he had to start within his own personal realm. What was Paul’s ultimate personal goal? Look for the answer in the book of Philippians.
“That I may know Him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:10-12)
His goal was to know Christ and to be conformed to Christ-likeness, and all that entails. Conformed to His death, that Paul may diminish and Christ ascend. Conformed to the resurrection, living in resurrection power and life. And the byproduct of all this life and transformation would be shining brightly for all to see in a darkened world, bringing glory to God. That was his race. That was his goal.
The writer of Hebrews also exhorts us to run a good race:
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith..” (Hebrews 12:1-2a)
What can we glean from these scripture references about the race we are called to? It’s not unlike what is required of those who want to be Olympic athletes, at its simplest terms. We need to be disciplined. We need to develop endurance. We need to press on in the face of challenges. We need to deny ourselves and our desires that may run counter to our goal (of being conformed to His image). Do these things in faith, and you will certainly go for kingdom gold!
Friends, my hope is that our hearts are all stirred to action, to answer the call of the upward journey. To run the race set before us with endurance and faith. And when we reach the finish line, God himself, our loving heavenly father will receive us into eternity with the words we long to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
By Michael Kurtz
