It’s been race, after race, after race on our TV screens in recent weeks, as the Olympic Games have been in full flight, and will be again in a week’s time for the Paralympics. That’s great, because, as Roy & HG remind us, in Australia too much sport is barely enough!
Paul in the Bible says that the Christian life is a race: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,…” (2Tim 4:7). That also appeals to us as ‘little Aussie battlers’ – “we’ll put our heads down, fight our hardest, and we’re bound to get somewhere in the end”.
However, Paul defines the exact nature of that “fight” and “race” in the rest of that verse – i.e., “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” It is a “fight” and “race” of faith; we win them not out of our own strength or effort, but by trusting in and relying upon Jesus Christ’s strength and effort.
The greatest fight we have is fighting to stop trusting in ourselves, and fighting to keep trusting in Christ alone.
If we find ourselves ‘fighting’ and ‘racing’ against illness, age, challenging circumstances – or against any other crisis – in that too Christ is the One we can trust to lift us up by the power of the Holy Spirit, keep us and carry us through to a place of safety. He will do this. Lean on Him.
Grace and cheers, Jonathan.