I think for many of us, we do not want to see life like a race. Many of us would love to see life like a conveyor belt at the grocery store – start at the beginning, go for the ride until getting picked up at the end, checked, and bagged. Wait. That sounds kind of morbid. But for many it is so true, especially for those of us in the Western World. I have heard it recently compared to as a “fast-food” or “microwave” kind of life. So true!
Story time…
Here is a very unique story. When my husband was growing up, his fun-loving mama would throw some pretty memorable birthday parties. She would go to the local pet store and purchase mice. Sounds cute. Then she would take the mice home and paint their tails each a different colour. I know, your thinking…WHAT!? There is a perfectly good reason…so that the kids could “place bets” and race them to see whose mouse would get to the other end of the dining room table first!
Are you rolling around on the floor like I was the first time I heard this?
This, of course, was an absolute hoot for all involved in this country-boy birthday party. And this born and raised city girl is big-belly-laughing again just thinking about it.
As hilarious as this story is, many people have lived feeling like the mice, with their tails painted, running the all too common “rat-race”, just to make it to the end. With no real purpose other than paying the bills, owning things, racking up the debt, and finishing a “good-enough” life.
We felt like we chose to run the race differently than most (married young, going back to school later as mature students, pregnant at college graduation (married!), homeschooling from the beginning, attending a house church, etc), but we still felt a pull toward the “rat-race”.
I looked up how the term “rat-race” originated. I learned that it was referring to, get this, actually decorating rats with ribbons to identify them as they ran a race. Go figure! This was an early 19th century leisure activity where the spectators did, in fact, bet on the potential winning rat. Apparently the first time this was actually documented was in 1848!
From this time, the term took on a pretty negative meaning, alluding to work, business struggles, and money making efforts, until it eventually became a phrase quickly summing up the hardships induced by the fast-paced and competitive nature of modern society. In the 20th Century, it portrayed people’s feelings of pressure to keep up with this modern living AND the need to ACHIEVE “success” simultaneously.
This very real pressure, at times, causes MANY to run a race that focuses on all the wrong things: accumulating possessions, staying young forever, having the highest position, making more and more self-indulging-money, etc. These are all part of what Jesus talks about in Matthew:
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-21
We had found ourselves running a race and claiming that it was the right race. We had such good intentions but we truly found ourselves aiming for a future with no real, true goals or purpose. Don’t get me wrong, we were raising our kids to believe and follow Jesus (SO IMPORTANT!), gathering together with fellow believers (Biblically commanded with love and intentionality), making a difference in our community, sharing Christ’s sacrifice with others, and doing OUR BEST to walk in the Spirit daily. HOWEVER, as a couple leading our family….we were in the rat-race. We were not REALLY, intentionally, seeking God’s purpose and calling on our lives. It began to feel dull, lifeless, consuming, without vision, and lacking what scripture talked about living an abundant life (John 10:10).
Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 9:26:
“Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.”
We wanted to run the good race but didn’t know how to get out of the rat-race. You see, if there is ANYTHING the devil wants, it is to get you distracted by a “race” that seems to be going somewhere but really leads to nowhere!
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [a]Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:13-14
He (the devil) wants you to beat at the air, waisting your time here on earth, because he knows that his (satan’s) time is limited. The devil wants to take the most precious treasures of our Heavenly Father with him, when he meets his demise. He is after souls! And many souls, even Christian, believing souls, are chasing after empty, purposeless, endeavors. I am not saying that many Christians are going to hell. What I am saying is that, for many of us, we are missing the mark of what LIFE is really suppose to be about. Culture seems to speak louder than THE CALL to have RELATIONSHIP with HIM.
If you have made the most important choice of your life, to believe that Jesus is the son of God (John 3:16) and be led by His Spirit (Acts 2:4), then you have been given authority in your life, as a child of God (Romans 8:16) to take possession of your life (Lev 20:24). The enemy no longer has a say! You get to lean in and ask, “Heavenly Father, what is it that you want me to do?” Remember who is the giver of life and then step into new life, as a new creation, and run the good race holding the hand of Jesus and looking to HIM!
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one recieves the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours.”
1 Corinthians 9:24
WOW! Paul is saying to make it your own! You DO NOT have to go by what other’s opinions or plans for your life is. The only ONE that matters is what your creator, lover of your soul, Father in Heaven, King of all Kings, has set in place for you to train for, begin running with joy, and continue until your final days.
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 says it best:
As a dear friend of mine says often, with huge eyes of revelation, eyebrows lifted high, and dramatic body leaning, “GUYS!”
In other words, “WOW! Do you know what this means?”
If we are going to run the race well, we need to:
- Realize that we have MANY runners of the faith that have gone before us, they have run the GOOD race, and are PROOF to us! So many others!
- Things that weigh us down, even if they seem “good”, “normal” or “easy” in society, may need to be let go. And then… we GET to move on!
- Deal with the sin. Yup, all of it! Be open to what the word of God defines as sin. To truly walk the other way, change you mind, repent.
- Keep your eyes on Jesus! He gave us faith, an ACTIVE fruit of the Holy Spirit. He gives us the grace to hope and have faith for a new life!
I love number 4! Jesus NEVER became burdened with the worldly systems and processes, the culture or the religious, the norms and positions. He came to break the religion and tradition. He came to sacrifice it all so that we could live FREELY and fulfill the will of His Father.
When you truly see God as loving, as HIS OWN LOVE LETTER (the Bible) actually speaks of, you won’t be able to sit still. You will get the urge to run into His loving arms, surrender it all at His feet, and say “I am so in LOVE WITH YOU, I don’t ever want to leave your presence!” You will know the peace and joy that comes, no matter how crazy it seems to the world, from complete surrender.
If any story points to running a rat-race, the story of Mary and Martha is a great one!
Luke 10:38-42
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at [a]Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
Jesus came for relationship. He never asked us to get frazzled, point fingers, feel anxious, or keep us busy in a “rat-race”. He came to free us from those things.
I can hear someone saying, “but I have to make money and feed my family!” Yes, but have you given Him even that? Have you seriously gone into the quiet place and trusted that when He says,
Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.
Psalm 34:9
Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:10
I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread.
Psalm 37:25
THE WORD of God has power. He loves us so much that He wants to equip us for the race. When you begin to see Him as a good Father, you will trust Him no matter what your eyes see, your ears hear, or your stomach says. That is when the senses fall away and we live in faith. As a good Father He wants to give you good things.
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:11
If our lives are in the way of receiving His gifts…we have a problem. Each one of us has a unique race to run. It doesn’t matter how old you are, there is purpose in your race. Do NOT let the enemy rob you of that beautiful journey by convincing you that you’re not that important, or that you could never be like…so and so. Comparison kills! You are uniquely created WITH PURPOSE. You cannot check out! Why? Because there are lives, souls, that only you can influence and share the LOVE OF GOD with.
I encourage you and challenge you TODAY to seek after God’s heart for your life. Ask Him right now, “What is it that you want me to know about my life?” He will show you, if you genuinely want to know.
And if you feel like you were getting there BUT something happened to cause hurt, or you found yourself believing lies about yourself, let Him know. Say, “today I choose to give you back my life again. Show me how to get back to the purpose and vision you have for my life.”
Where there is no vision, the people perish..
Proverbs 29:18
I am so very thankful that we gave our “Yes” to what the Holy Spirit was asking our family to do. It seemed like we were doing all the right things but we had no vision or revelation of what God’s plan truly was for our lives until we erased our plans and asked Him to show us what His plan, THE PLAN, really is.
We are still learning, growing, and leaning into His plan daily. We have had the privilege of experiencing healing, soul care, and heavenly treasures of provision from letting go and letting God.
Do not let fear, anxiety, depression, sickness, past circumstances be your race map. Those things are from the devil. Jesus came to give us freedom!
“10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I [Jesus] came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). AMPC
John 10:10
Trust that when you hand it all back over to Him, He wants you to have an abundance of goodness in your life! He will give you everything you need to run the good race! Praise God!