Faith Race

Bible Reading: Philippians 3:12-14; Hebrews 12:1-3; James 1:2-4

“Vroooom!” Cyrus zoomed his favorite toy car across the kitchen floor. “Coming in for a pit stop!” he yelled. Elim, his little brother, grinned and pretended to change the tires at super speed. “I need fuel too, Elim,” Cyrus declared.

Elim made a gurgling sound as he “filled up” the car. “Ready, set, GO!” Elim waved his arms excitedly as Cyrus took off on the race track they had made around the kitchen.

The boys’ cousin Joy looked up from her book and cheered. “Great job, racers!” She looked at her aunt, who was folding laundry nearby. “They sure love to race cars!”

Aunt Bea laughed. “The boys never miss a day! It’s their favorite thing to play.”

Joy pondered that. “It’s kind of like living our lives as Christians. I was reading the book of Hebrews in my Bible yesterday. It said we need to get rid of everything that slows us down, like our sin, and run the race of life with perseverance, keeping our eyes on Jesus. Perseverance means not giving up, right?”

“Absolutely. It means that even when things get difficult, we keep going and trust Jesus to help us. The book of James tells us that when our faith is tested, it helps produce perseverance in our lives. We just have to remember that Jesus is with us and look to Him for strength.” Aunt Bea looked thoughtful. “I know one thing that helps me do that is spending time with Jesus. When I read my Bible and pray, I remember what Jesus has done for me and that He gives me strength to keep running the race. When I take the time to stop and be with God, He refreshes me.”

“Kind of like a holy pit stop!” Joy said with a giggle. “Praying and reading the Bible helps us keep our eyes on Jesus.”

“Speaking of holy pit stops,” Aunt Bea said, plopping down in the freshly washed towels with her Bible, “you’ve just encouraged me to take one right now!”

Joy cheered loudly, and her cousins looked at her in amusement. “Good job, Auntie Bea! Let Jesus fill you up!” Savannah Coleman

How About You?

Have you ever thought about your life being like a race? The author of the book of Hebrews did! He talks about the importance of fixing our eyes on Jesus in the race of life. We need to press on in faith, remembering that He’s with us every step of the way. Take regular pit stops to pray and read His Word. He’ll fill you up with reminders of His promises and His love for you!

Today’s Key Verse:
Hebrews 12:1-2 Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Come to Jesus for your pit stops