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| Raceway Ministry tent at Martinsville Speedway |
Twice a year the world comes
to our city through the world of NASCAR racing, and it is an honor to be part
of this event through Raceway Ministries.
Almost 100 volunteers from several churches come together to serve race
fans and have conversations about Jesus.
I’d like to share with you a
portion of a devotion I wrote in the spring of 2008. I pray that God will help each one of us stay
in the race of life and find the abundance God offers…
43 drivers started the race, but only one of them was the winner.
Does that mean that 42 of them lost? You have to answer that for
yourself. Yet I have some thoughts for you as the race traffic heads
toward Martinsville, Virginia.
Hebrews 12:1 nlt
Therefore, since we
are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us
strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily
trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Thousands of people are said to show up in Martinsville on race
weekend. Not sure about the exact numbers, but I am sure that each one
wants their driver to win. It is tough competition. Fans wear their
driver's number with pride, put it on their car or tent, on their clothes or
even spelled out in tattoos and the like. This can be a strange
world. The fans are committed, passionate and watching. It really
is kind of like that great cloud of witnesses. What do you think?
They love a good race, and so do I. Close finishes are amazing
with all the race happenings and wrecks. Doesn't help much when you see
the enemy (or the driver you don't like leading) out in front for too
many.
Are the 42 drivers who didn't win losers? I don't think so.
Some people say they are. Not because of who they are but because of
how they finished, behind the winner of this particular race, whoever it may be
on Sunday. Yet I think all of them are winners. It takes drive to
keep on and to even get in the race.
If in life we have an attitude or think that only one person could
win or only a few people could win, I would be so depressed (and many people
are every day). God tells us what winners do. Think about it:
Winners get
in the race
Don't you realize
that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that
will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
Winners stay
in the race
So be on your guard,
not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.
Winners know
that God is the only real official in the race
Hebrews 11:6 nlt
And it is impossible
to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that
God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
Winners
enjoy each and every part of the race
John 10:10 nlt
The thief's purpose
is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and
satisfying life.
Last,
winners finish the race well
2 Timothy 4:7 nlt
I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
Whether you
win or come in dead last in whatever race you enter, remember that life is all
about God. He has called us to enjoy life, to live it to the fullest and
to know and crave His purpose each day. That means we have to get in the
race (know and love God), stay in the race (even when it is tough), glorify God
(even when that is not the most popular thing to do), enjoy life and
finish well.
1 John 4:4 nlt
But you belong to
God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people,
because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the
world.
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