Once Upon A Track
“… But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on…” – Philippians 3:13-14 NIV
Once upon at time and many pounds ago, I ran track in high school. In fact I did hurdles. Notice I didn’t say I ran hurdles, because there was more stumbling and tripping than running. And I didn’t say I was a hurdler, because that would mean I had gained some level of proficiency. No—I did hurdles.
What I learned about hurdles was there was always one more hurdle in front of me to clear. The hurdles were laid out in front of me in my lane by some unseen track official and I was to engage in running to clear them in succession after the gun sounded. I was to do this until I reached the finish line.
The harder hurdle event for me was the 300 meter hurdles. The difficulty wasn’t due to the distance being too long or the hurdles being too high or too many; the problem came in the space between the hurdles. During this space between the hurdles I had time to think and was easily distracted.
In the shorter distance hurdle event, like the 110 meter high-hurdles, there is never time to think because it happens so fast. For me, however, in the 300, thoughts would come at me like: “Okay, you cleared that one, here comes another one. Don’t jump too soon. Don’t hit the hurdle. Is that girl looking at me? I should have stretched more. HURDLE!”
It takes consistent focus to run hurdles. Missed steps have to be corrected and adjusted on the fly. You can’t let the success over one hurdle or the stumble over another keep you from continuing around the track toward the finish line. You have to keep progressing around the track to the tape at the end. You don’t stop after a successful clearing of the 6th hurdle and say, “I have sure enjoyed the race so far. But clearing this 6th hurdle has been so enjoyable that I think I will just stay right here.” Nor should you just walk off the track when you fall on your face. No, you keep going and don’t stop until the race is over. You don’t wait for the hurdles to come to you; you have to keep running until there are no more hurdles. The race is not about how cleanly you clear the hurdles but how efficiently and effectively you cover the distance from start to finish and how you run between each hurdle.
Only God knows how long our life-races are and how many hurdles or challenges we will face. It is important to honor past successes by learning from them but we must move forward from them to face new growing experiences. It is also important to learn from and move on from failures because another challenge is just around the bend. Until our last breaths we must keep moving forward with our mind set on the prize—to be like Christ and to be with God for all eternity because of Christ.
Paul wrote about his life-race to the believers in Philippi. “Not that I have already obtained all this [meaning obtaining all that God had for Paul because of knowing Christ], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: 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” (Philippians 3:12-14 NIV).
Then Paul gives some instructions to his fellow Christian runners: “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained” (Philippians 3:15-16 NIV).
We each have to continue on the track God lays out before us. We must not stop regardless of success or failure or even fatigue. We must keep moving and God will give us the strength to carry on. But, if at some point we forget that our attitude should be as it was for Paul, we must ask God to re-enlighten us while we keep on moving forward toward the finish line. We who believe are already victorious because Jesus already won the race for us. We must just “live up to” the victory we have in Him. And at the end of our life-race, we can celebrate His glorious victory for us for all eternity.
Until then, keep running. Here comes another hurdle.
Once upon at time and many pounds ago, I ran track in high school. In fact I did hurdles. Notice I didn’t say I ran hurdles, because there was more stumbling and tripping than running. And I didn’t say I was a hurdler, because that would mean I had gained some level of proficiency. No—I did hurdles.
What I learned about hurdles was there was always one more hurdle in front of me to clear. The hurdles were laid out in front of me in my lane by some unseen track official and I was to engage in running to clear them in succession after the gun sounded. I was to do this until I reached the finish line.
The harder hurdle event for me was the 300 meter hurdles. The difficulty wasn’t due to the distance being too long or the hurdles being too high or too many; the problem came in the space between the hurdles. During this space between the hurdles I had time to think and was easily distracted.
In the shorter distance hurdle event, like the 110 meter high-hurdles, there is never time to think because it happens so fast. For me, however, in the 300, thoughts would come at me like: “Okay, you cleared that one, here comes another one. Don’t jump too soon. Don’t hit the hurdle. Is that girl looking at me? I should have stretched more. HURDLE!”
It takes consistent focus to run hurdles. Missed steps have to be corrected and adjusted on the fly. You can’t let the success over one hurdle or the stumble over another keep you from continuing around the track toward the finish line. You have to keep progressing around the track to the tape at the end. You don’t stop after a successful clearing of the 6th hurdle and say, “I have sure enjoyed the race so far. But clearing this 6th hurdle has been so enjoyable that I think I will just stay right here.” Nor should you just walk off the track when you fall on your face. No, you keep going and don’t stop until the race is over. You don’t wait for the hurdles to come to you; you have to keep running until there are no more hurdles. The race is not about how cleanly you clear the hurdles but how efficiently and effectively you cover the distance from start to finish and how you run between each hurdle.
Only God knows how long our life-races are and how many hurdles or challenges we will face. It is important to honor past successes by learning from them but we must move forward from them to face new growing experiences. It is also important to learn from and move on from failures because another challenge is just around the bend. Until our last breaths we must keep moving forward with our mind set on the prize—to be like Christ and to be with God for all eternity because of Christ.
Paul wrote about his life-race to the believers in Philippi. “Not that I have already obtained all this [meaning obtaining all that God had for Paul because of knowing Christ], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: 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” (Philippians 3:12-14 NIV).
Then Paul gives some instructions to his fellow Christian runners: “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained” (Philippians 3:15-16 NIV).
We each have to continue on the track God lays out before us. We must not stop regardless of success or failure or even fatigue. We must keep moving and God will give us the strength to carry on. But, if at some point we forget that our attitude should be as it was for Paul, we must ask God to re-enlighten us while we keep on moving forward toward the finish line. We who believe are already victorious because Jesus already won the race for us. We must just “live up to” the victory we have in Him. And at the end of our life-race, we can celebrate His glorious victory for us for all eternity.
Until then, keep running. Here comes another hurdle.
posted by Sojourner at 2:01 PM
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