And it is soon time to hand off the baton...

I am not in this race by myself...and anyone who thinks he is, is a fool.  Now I am not going to be negative...just realistic.

1 Corinthians 9:24

Know ye not that they which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Let's just taken a gander at this verse.  The first half of the first sentence talks about running in a race...when you run in a race, you don't run at the back of the pack, if you are able to run in the front of the pack, you run at your best speed.  The verse says that they run all which means they run their best, they run all out!  Then it goes on to say that you should run in such a way as to be able to acquire the prize...so run a good race...now I want you to consider...what is the prize...is it a trophy?  Is it a ribbon?  Is it a nice cake?  Ahh no, the prize is so much better than any of these things....it's knowing that Christ lives in you....and you are living for Christ...you no longer live your life for you, you live your life for Christ.   Now I don't want you to think that this life is easy....it is not!

There is a kind of cross country race, that involves navigation and a card that needs to be punched, by the runner as he completes the course, and with each point of punching his card there is a new set of directions telling the runner the direction he needs to go.  Now remember this is not on a track....oh no this is up hills and down hills and over rocks, and I am not talking little stones, I am talking about boulders the size of a house, and over creeks and thru creeks...and at each point a new punch is in your card.

Okay this is sort of what it is like to be a Christian...it is not an easy walk, or should i say run, but imagine the end of the race....this verse says it all....

Hebrews 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Do you feel that there are times in your life that you are encompassed, or surrounded by people who may be non-practicing Christians?  That is what the writer of Hebrews, I believe, is saying to us, there are those that would have us to walk as they walk, I will not!  I want to walk as Jesus walked.  I will be around these people, but I want to behave as Christ would have me to behave....and this isn't easy....and I have a long way to go...but I will continue in the race and I will look for the baton to be passed on to me and I will continue to run this race...tomorrow we will run the next leg of the race.  But for today won't you work hard at running this race with me?  Please be a blessing to someone this day, won't you?