Winning the Race

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus

Philippians 3:14

Goal – this word specifically refers to the marker at the end of a race on which runners intently fix their eyes; the prize, the reward of victory. Paul evidently takes to heart what he teaches in 1 Corinthians 9:24. “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.”

How are you sitting goals? Many of us set goals for the purpose of obtaining or achieving a specific social status. Unfortunately once there we need to continuously increasing our status to stay ahead. Yet others look to wealth, climbing over everyone and everything that seem to impede our progress.

Running God’s race has only one objective…to live fully for Him. Whether you run a successful race, it doesn’t matter; it only matters that you ran the race according to fulfilling His purpose for your life. Everyone who runs such a race is already a winner. You may never have a dime to your name, but you will still be the riches person in God’s eyes.

Remember “fix you eyes on the true reward of running your race for Him and run the race if your life depended on it.”

Dr. H. A. Ironside wrote: There are five crowns:

1. The incorruptible crown for faithfully running the course;
2. The crown of rejoicing for winning souls;
3. The crown of righteousness for those who love His appearing;
4. The crown of life for those who suffer for Christ;
5. The crown of glory for those who feed the sheep and lambs of Christ’s flock.

I might lose all of those crowns and yet not lose my salvation. The Word says, “If any man’s work shall be burned. . . .he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15) But I do not want to be saved that way. I want to win the crown of life. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life...”