Running the Race

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Guess what?” Austin said as he paged through the new runner’s magazine that

had just come in the mail. He and Dad had signed up to run their first 5K race together in their town’s spring festival.

“What’s that?” Dad asked.

“Did you know that when we race, we should wear clothes and shoes that are lightweight? And you don’t want to carry any keys or your wallet in your pocket. That extra weight could slow you down. They even make sunglasses for runners that weigh less than regular ones.”

“I know athletes in other sports do similar things to make themselves faster in a race,” Dad said. “Remember when Uncle Joe rode his bike in a race last summer? He made sure his bike had handlebars and a seat that were lightweight. He told me the bikes of serious racers are put together with lighter screws and no paint to make them weigh less.”

That night, during family devotions, Austin’s sister Jane was reading a verse from the Bible about how Christians should run the race of life. “We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall,” she finished.

“That’s what Dad and I were talking about today!” said Austin. “We don’t want to wear or carry anything extra when we run our race, right, Dad?”

“That’s right,” said Dad. “What stuff do we need to get rid of that slows us down in the Christian race?”

“Maybe things like telling lies or being mean to someone?” Austin replied.

“Yes, that’s right, Austin,” Mom said. “Those are sins that slow us down in showing others God’s love and helping them know who He is. When we do things like that, we need to confess them to Jesus so He can forgive us. He helps us get rid of sins and bad habits in our lives that weigh us down as we run the race of life for Him.”

Austin grinned at his dad. “We’re going to run a good race, Dad—at the festival and in the race for Jesus!”

Dad nodded as Austin gave him a high five.

-Ruth Hochstetler

How About You?

Are you getting rid of the things that can slow you down in the race you’re running for Jesus? Perhaps there’s a sin in your life, like lying or holding a grudge, that’s weighing you down. When we confess our wrongs to Jesus, He forgives us and lifts that weight from our lives. Then we can keep running a good race for Him by loving others and doing what’s right.

Today’s Key Verse:
Hebrews 12:1 (ERV) So we, too, should run the race that is before us and never quit. We should remove from our lives anything that would slow us down and the sin that so often makes us fall.

Today’s Key Thought:

Keep running a good race