Last Saturday, I completed my fourth parkrun. “Parkrun is a weekly event where you can walk, joy, run, volunteer or spectate at 502 locations across Australia. Register once and join in with no time limit and no one finishes last thanks to the volunteer tail walkers.” www.parkrun.com.au
At my age, finishing a 5km parkrun is an achievement. Actually, it’s achievement for everyone! It doesn’t matter how long we took, we can all say, “I finished the race.”
Jesus on the road of life
This blog, Jesus on the Road, refers to the road of life that we are all walking, or running, or crawling…
The Bible talks about finishing the race of life:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
The Apostle Paul wrote this from prison. He knew he was near the end of his life. His words are an encouragement to us, as we travel on our own road of life.
Paul’s life was not easy:
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
2 Corinthians 11:24-27
No matter how difficult our circumstances, we are encouraged to keep going, to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith.
Training to win the race
In the 1st century, the Romans celebrated both the Olympic Games and the Isthmian Games. Competitors would spend up to ten months in arduous physical training. The Bible uses the games as an analogy for our life:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Winning the race of life
The Bible verse notes that every competitor is aiming to win, but only one will be the winner.
Some of us seem to live our lives like a race to be won. We want to be the best at whatever we do. When I did an internet search on ‘I want to be the best…,’ the suggestions to finish the sentence included: version of myself; friend; man; girlfriend; one; thing; at something; in the world; piano player.
Some of us live life as a competition, seeing who can collect the most possessions; achieve the highest accolades; earn the most money; or be the most famous. We post our best days on social media, and envy others posting about their holidays, the places they have been, and the fancy meals they have eaten.
Life is short, so what are you going to do about it?
Life is short. So, perhaps we may as well just eat, drink and be merry. We may as well work like crazy to collect as much money and stuff as we can, while we can. We may as well write a long bucket list of pleasurable activities and enjoy ourselves to the max. We may as well eat dessert first. I wonder if that last one could mean that we may as well reward ourselves first, before we do the hard work, training and self-discipline.
The crown of life
My sister-in-law had a poster that said, “She who dies with the most fabric, wins.” I’ve certainly been in that competition! But I know that all my fabric stash (and every other stash) will be useless when I die.
Even though I’ve spent a lifetime collecting money, possessions, awards, achievements and stuff, my successors will probably just throw it all out. We came into the world naked, and we’ll go out the same:
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
1 Timothy 6:7
Yet, the Bible talks about the crown of life that will last forever. This is a crown not just for one winner of the race, but for all who have longed for the Lord’s appearing.
Our competition
Unlike sporting games, on the road of life that God talks about, we are not competing with each other. Instead, we are competing against the physical and spiritual struggles that stand in the way of our reaching the prize:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12
The battle is real
At Parkrun, I need to battle the urge to just stop and give up. Or perhaps just to sleep in and not even go because, you know, it’s just hard work, and I can’t win anyway. I need to work hard to just finish the race.
Life can be a bit like that. I can feel like sleeping in, or spending my days fritting away my time, lacking self-control or perseverance, with no real purpose, apart from collecting money and possessions, or rewarding myself with self-indulgent pleasures. Of course, I can justify myself – don’t I deserve it? The world confirms my inclination to just indulge myself in every possible pleasure. Recently, I saw a huge billboard telling me to reward myself (by spending money), just for existing
What’s my purpose?
Although I haven’t done too badly in my age group, I know I won’t ever win Parkrun. Winning Parkrun is not my purpose for doing it. In the race of life, I sometimes wonder about my purpose. That’s one of the Big Questions – What am I here for? In the race of life, God promises a crown that will last forever. That crown of life is promised for ALL those who wait for Jesus. Now, that’s a purpose for living!
You can’t earn your own crown
I know that I’ll never finish first at Parkrun. But God has promised that I WILL receive the crown of eternal life. Not because of my good works – they will never be good enough. But because Jesus paid the price for me, and for YOU! Jesus has earned the crown for you, for all who have longed for His appearing. He has prepared a place for you in heaven:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
I don’t know the struggles and trials you are facing right now. But God knows. I’m praying that you will be encouraged to keep going, to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. So that you can be assured of your crown of life and your place in heaven:
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Revelation 21:4
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you that you died for all sinners, so that everyone who believes in you will be saved from the punishment that they deserve in hell. Help me to finish the race. Give me perseverance and self-control to resist the temptation to give in to my desires for self-indulgence. Help me resist the urge to try to look better than everyone else. Forgive my pride and self-righteousness. Help me to spread the good news that your gift of heaven is free for us, although it cost you everything. Remind me that my purpose in life comes from You. Amen.