Running the Race

The 2008 Olympics are over. Whew! My family and I can finally get back to getting some sleep.
Although it had nothing really to do with the Olympics, it was fun to run my first race ever during Olympics week. Saturday morning, my youngest and I took off at the sound of the starter's pistol in Hershey, PA. Just 28 minutes and 45 seconds later, I crossed the finish line. To my relief, I wasn't the last person to do so!
:-)

Be it the Olympics or my own 5K race, at some point in time my mind usually brings up Scriptures that deal with the subject, and I'm left challenged anew. This time, I landed in Philippians ...
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Phil. 3:13-14

I so like what Sinclair Ferguson writes in his "Let's Study Philippians," part of the Let's Study series from Banner of Truth. "Rather than look back to see how far he had travelled in his pilgrimage, Paul pressed on towards Christ. He resisted an all-too-subtle temptation that comes to Christians in the mid-years of their spiritual journey: to feel that they have come a reasonable distance. Why is that a mistake? Because we cannot look back and simultaneously keep our eyes fixed on Christ! So Paul repeats himself: he forgets what lies behind and strains forwards; he presses on toward the goal. He is flat out for Christ." (Through Banner's "Let's Study" books, I love having Dr. Ferguson (and others) guide me through the Word).

Without a doubt, some of the people we've seen on television during the past couple of weeks could not imagine a prize greater than Olympic gold. Oh, but there is! Forgetting what lies behind, let's strain forwards to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. Let us be "flat out for Christ."
Grace & peace to you as you begin this new week.
Steve B.