My Kind of Race

Motivation is something we talk about a great deal. The detective looks for a motive in the homicide, the motivational speaker hopes to motivate you to do something, and the actor tries to discover his character’s motivation for his behavior. Some people find motivation in external substances, such as the person who just cannot function without coffee in the morning. There is a way to be motivated to do most anything.

Television producers have realized this and turned it into “reality” shows. Most of these shows have the same idea behind them. People compete with one another; get systematically eliminated each week, until there is one winner who gets a large sum of money. Face it, there is no way most of those people would subject themselves to the things that can happen to them on these shows, if it were not for the lure of money.

As some of you know, I took up running a while back. While I am never going to compete in the Olympics, I enjoy getting out early in the morning and getting that jump start on the day. I ran in one 5K race and truly enjoyed it. However, I read this week about a race I think a lot of us would like to try.

The fifth annual Krispy Kreme Challenge Race in Raleigh, NC, was run Saturday morning, at North Carolina State University. Racers had to run two miles to the downtown Krispy Kreme shop, eat a dozen glazed doughnuts and run back in under an hour. Runners began coming into the store's parking lot about 30 minutes after the race began. Veterans of the race were shoving doughnuts into cups of water and quickly eating several at a time. $35,000 was raised for the North Carolina Children's Hospital and 48,000 doughnuts were eaten. Now that’s my kind of race! Check out a video of the race here http://www.wyff4.com/video/18670907/

The Christian life is one with many challenges. However, so is the life lived without Christ. Matthew 5:45 reads, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” In other words, both the Christian and the non-Christian have happiness and sorrow. The difference is that those with Christ can withstand the storms of life, because we know that God loves us and wants the best for us.

If our motivation in becoming a Christian and living for Christ is freedom from problems, then we are running the wrong race. If our motivation is to avoid hell, then we are missing the point. If our motivation in giving our lives to God is to honor Him, and bring Him glory, then we are beginning to be on the right track.

We should want to run our race because it will bring glory to God, not for any prize we may attain. Don’t get me wrong, I know there is a prize, which is eternal life with God. I am only pointing out that if going to heaven is our only motivation in coming to Christ and attending church, then we need to evaluate our Christian walk. In other words, it would be like wanting to just run a 4-mile race, regardless of what treat may be offered. It is only when we begin running the race of our lives, out of the correct motivation of honoring God, that we begin to set our sights on the prize before us.

Run your race with the right motivation. Honor God. Bring glory to Him.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV)

Do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. (Luke 12:29-31 NKJV)