The Race Is Not to the Swift but to Him Who Continues to the End

The Race Is Not to the Swift but to Him Who Continues to the End

It’s easy to understand that in a race there is a starting line and a finish line. The most important thing is to remain in the race until the end. There’s absolutely no doubt that this will require patience and endurance. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” 1 Cor. 9:24. So, to run in such a way that you may obtain it, that requires endurance. It’s important to understand that it’s the Lord Himself who has qualified us for the race that we are in. It is God’s business to put us in the race that we are to run. It’s impossible for us to accomplish this ourselves.

But we need to come into a living faith that God has put us into the race we are in. As with everything else I meet along life’s way, it’s completely preposterous to complain about the body that the Lord has given me, or the different individuals that are with me in my race. It could be my husband or wife, it could be my children, it could even be my boss or fellow workers. It’s God’s business who I’m in the race with. We must pray to God so that He will equip us with the Holy Spirit and with power so we can overcome each enemy we meet in our own personal race. Because the truth is my enemies dwell in my own flesh.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” Jas. 1:13-15.

In other words, this has nothing to do with my outward circumstances or with other people. We need an ear to listen to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, that will lead and guide us into all truth. First and foremost, this will be the truth about myself. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:13.

Another blessed verse that is a tremendous help is Gal. 6:9. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” The Holy Spirit will also show us things to come, which is the fruit—the virtues of Christ—that we will come into as we run our race unto the end. We will also need 1 Pet. 4:1-2 when we meet our enemies in the race. “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

With these verses in our hearts and minds, we will know what to do with each temptation that comes to us. The longer we are able to run in our race, the more enemies will come under our feet while we continue to run our race unto the end.