Run Your Race, Not Someone Else’s

I love the physical, mental, and emotional challenge of long-distance running. When I’m running, I can feel stress build-ups dripping out of my pores while fresh energy rises up from the inside. After the first few miles I hit my stride– my breathing and legs are in sync; I’ve found my rhythm. I look down at my watch and take note of my pace. I’ll stay here until the terrain changes. I’m on a mission. I have a purpose, and I will not stop until I attain my goal. I am in the zone.

Many times God speaks in terms of running in the Bible, which works well for me, a runner. Have you ever noticed how God speaks to us in “our language”? Notice how He announced the birth of Jesus. He gave an astronomical sign to the Magi, who were experts in astronomy. In a stroke of genius, He revealed the Messiah to the Bethlehem shepherds, who, scholars tell us, were responsibly not for just some random flock of sheep, but the lambs that were to be slain for the upcoming Passover feast. The shepherds wouldn’t understand the hidden meanings and the prophecies concerning Jesus in the heavens, but they understood what God said when He spoke to them in terms of sheep, swaddling clothes, and mangers. God speaks your language!

Running Your Race

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, looking unto Jesus…

Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV

Over the next few blogs, I’m going to continue going through the powerful imagery contained in this verse and the powerful message it brings to our daily lives. Today, I want to focus on the idea of running your race, not someone else’s. Did you know that each of us has a different race to run? Although we who are alive run our races at the same time, we are each running in our own lane, so to speak, and are responsible for how we competed in our division—not someone else’s.

My race doesn’t necessarily look like your race, and your race doesn’t look like mine. You train differently than I do. My training plan won’t always work for your race, and if I were to copy your race, I would falter and trip in my own race. This is incredibly important and cannot be stressed enough. Although we are both competing in life, we are not competing against each other. In fact, the competition mindset among believers, churches, and ministries are not only detrimental to, but is in direct disobedience to the commands of Jesus Himself!

How to Take the World

Jesus didn’t just give us a commandment to go and “make disciples of all nations”, but He prayed over us the divine strategy of God that would ensure that we were successful in our work. In John 17, Jesus prayed over you and I, His glorious Bride on the earth today, would do our part and see the completion of all His desires. Jesus desires that all men be saved! Notice how He said it would happen:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

John 17:20-23 NKJV

He didn’t say that the world would come to know Him by a bunch of evangelistic programs, but when the believers would all be one in the same way that Jesus and the Father are one. Notice that Jesus says the same thing twice in this single discourse; this is a key truth.

This is the context in which we ought to view running our individual races. The whole point is to grow together in all things into Christ, the head of the Church, “from whom the whole body (that’s you and me), joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” See Ephesians 4:15-16.

This ought to eliminate the idea of competition among believers, but unfortunately, competition is widespread. We see an evangelist or prophet and think, “Wow, it sure would be nice for God to use me like that person”, or, “I wonder why she seems so anointed, and I don’t feel like I could ever do anything like that. I guess she’s just better than me.” This is totally the wrong idea! That person you respect and envy is running in their lane! If anything, their successful progress should serve as motivation for us to pursue our own calling and purpose with a renewed fire and passion.

Practicing My Craft

In July 2017, I was on vacation in Huntington Beach, CA. The hotel we were staying at had an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean and the famous Huntington pier. To my surprise, I discovered that the World Surf League was holding a surfing competition in Huntington Beach at that very time, and I could see the surfers from my hotel room! It was awesome.

On our last day in town, Jenny and I were able to go down to the pier and watch the competition first hand. We stood right underneath the pier, our feet in the water, watching the top surfers from all around the world competing right in front of us. I was awestruck by the skill of the athletes and wondered what kind of motivation, training, and lifestyle was required for such consistent, near-perfect performance in a relatively extreme sport.

One of the competitors was being interviewed during a break, and I’ll never forget what she said about training for the World Surf League competitions. She said, “You can always tell who trained hard over the break [between seasons]. I practice every single day, competition or no competition. When the next season starts, I’ve already put in the hard work. You have to surf every day and work hard; never let up, never slow down.”

I remember thinking to myself, Man, I want to live like that. I don’t aspire to be a professional surfer, but I can be a world-class something. What is that something? What is my craft? And how do I master my craft? This experience was a springboard to my life now, where I put more time and effort into practicing and mastering “my craft” more than ever before. This is what it’s like to discover and run in your lane.

Training Like an Athlete

Hebrews 12:1-2, our original verses, use the language of the competitive Greek games of Paul’s day to convey the idea that believers today are in a serious race that demands the highest level of discipline and training in order to take the podium. In fact, the Holy Spirit speaks many times using this type of language to paint a picture of the level of determination we ought to have and to never give up, keeping the goal in front of our eyes constantly (See 2 Samuel 22:30, Habakkuk 2:2, 1 Corinthians 9:24, 26, for example).

Our lives are meant to be purposeful, intentional, and disciplined in the same way a professional athlete gives his life to the pursuit of winning the ultimate prize in his or her field of competition*. The mindset of an athlete is not for the faint of heart, and requires sacrifice on many levels.

I know that it doesn’t sound all that great, but trust me when I say that discovering and running in your lane is the most liberating and exciting adventure you will ever embark on in your life. And you are not alone! When you decide to be a competitor, not a spectator, the Holy Spirit will take you on a great training regiment; for He is your Personal Trainer! Like training for a physical competition, training for your God-given calling doesn’t come naturally—you have to build and exercise your spiritual, emotional, and mental muscles.

Staying In Your Lane

Remember how we talked about God speaking “your language”? Today I wanted to highlight the importance of discovering and running your race, not someone else’s. In the blogs that follow, we will dive into Hebrews 12:1-2 and discover how we can discover, train for, and compete in the race that God has for us. What is God saying to you right now? If you listen, you will hear His voice. I believe He is speaking to you today, right now! He wants to light a fire inside you to discover, train, and begin the adventure of running in your own lane. He has something for you to accomplish in this life that is just as unique and special as you are!

Running your race is vital to the success of the plan of God on this earth. As we saw in John 17, the divine blueprint for the salvation of the world is more than a program—it’s the oneness of the Church and Jesus, the head. When each of us finds our lane and begins practicing our craft, running our race with all our might, we will show the world just how much Jesus loves them. For, “by this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

If you were encouraged by today’s blog, you won’t want to miss the next one. In the meantime, why don’t you consider the following questions and apply them to your own race?

• Do you feel jealous when you notice someone else doing what they are called and anointed to do? If so, why do you think that is? Perhaps it’s time to spend some time with the Lord and ask for a perspective shift.

• What does running in your lane look like to you? How can you utilize your unique gifts, talents, and desires to work in concert with others instead of competing with them?

• Can you think of a person in your life who is running their race well? Why don’t you set up a coffee meeting and ask them how they are able to live out their calling with such energy and purpose without burning out?

*For a detailed look at the Holy Spirit’s powerful message on the believer’s duty to train like an athlete, please see Rick Renner’s powerful book, Life In The Combat Zone. I have been impacted greatly by this powerful book!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash