ChristianRunners.org

Why Do You Race(Work/Sing/_______(fill in the blank))?

This past weekend (June 4-6, 2010) I went with Michelle on a ChristianRunners.org retreat at the Lifeway Center in Ridgecrest, NC and to participate in the Downhill@Dawn Half Marathon.  I had no idea why I was really going.  God had it all planned out, like He normally does, and not only did I meet a lot of great people and make new friends; I was challenged for my reason to run/work/live.

Why Do You Race?

This was a banner hanging at the FCA Endurance booth during the retreat for the weekend and I barely noticed it until on Sunday morning when Chris Anderson, an FCA leader, gave the retreat's Sunday message, asking "Why Do You Race?".  He reminded us that we need to be good stewards of what God gives us (finances, time, etc.) as it is ALL His, not ours, and we need to make sure we use it wisely as we will be held accountable for what we do with what we are given.  He then brought up that there are 3 main reasons that people race:

1.       "Bad" reasons - pride, insecurity, selfishness

2.       "Good" reasons - personal health, causes (AIDS, orphans, etc.), friends, support

3.       God reasons - worship, building His kingdom, expanding His kingdom

Reasons #1 and #2 are man focused and fruitless in producing any eternal value.  Reason #3 is the only valid reason to race.  If I am not using the gift of running to further His kingdom and to bring Him glory, I might as well not run at all.  And this can pertain to every area of my life.  Everything I do should be done for reason #3.  As Paul states in 1^st Corinthians 10:31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.", I want to do everything to give Him glory.  Whether it is work or family or running or whatever, I want to do it in a way that gives God the glory, because whatever I have He has given me by His mercy and grace.

So, I challenge all of you to ask yourself the same question - "Why Do You Race?" or "Why Do You Work?" or "Why Do You Sing?" or "Why Do You _______(fill in the blank)?" or "Why Do You Live?".

I did not like the first truthful answer I had to give, because it was not to give God the glory or further His kingdom.  I pray that God will help me change my focus so that my answer will be - I race/work/live to give God the glory.  I pray that you would be honest with yourself when answering the question and desire to give Him the glory in ALL you do.