THE WAY FORWARD IN CHRIST
(Part 16)
ON
RUNNING THE RACE
November
30, 2008
First Sunday of Advent
CFC-FFL Family Day
My dear
co-workers in Christ,
One way
Paul describes the Christian life is likening it to a race, and we to
athletes who participate in that race. As we today have our Family &
Sports Day, it is appropriate to look to the deeper meaning of our coming
together in this sports venue and in this celebration.
What is
required of athletes in order to win? They need a sense of purpose,
training, physical fitness, team support and endurance. For Christians to
run the race of life well and to attain the ultimate prize, we need the
same.
A
sense of purpose
We must
have our goal in mind, and doggedly and single-heartedly pursue it.
Athletes run to win, to attain the gold, to stand out among the field. The
goal is what motivates them, what makes them give their all.
It is the
same way with the Christian life. We must look to the goal we are striving
for. Thus it was for that great apostle Paul. “Just one thing:
forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I
continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling,
in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13b-14).
For us, our
ultimate goal is being with Jesus in eternal glory in heaven. That should
be our singular pursuit. That should determine everything else we do in
life. That is what should keep us straining forward, through the ups and
downs of life, undeterred by difficulties and trials.
This is
God’s upward calling. It is being raised up to imitation of Christ, to
holiness unto the Lord, to perfection unto the Father. And it is
ultimately being raised up to heaven, where God has already reserved a
special place for us.
Training
To achieve
their goal, athletes need to be trained. They not only look to the goal,
but they need to know the best way to win the race. They need especially
the wisdom of more experienced athletes and trainers. They need to look to
what already works. They need to study the ways of top athletes who have
gone before them.
It is the
same way for the Christian life. Christians need to be trained in the ways
of God. God needs to be able to show us how to live our Christian lives.
This comes in the form of sound teaching and instruction. This comes from
Jesus through our times of personal prayer, through the Bible which is the
inspired word of God, through our leaders in community, through our
pastors in the Church.
“The aim
of this instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a
sincere faith.” (1 Tm 1:5). We are to love as Jesus loves, with purity
of intent towards all. Our consciences should be properly and well formed,
according to the authentic teaching of God through His Church. Our faith
is to be sound and sincere, lived out concretely in our day-to-day lives.
Physical
fitness
Training is
intended to keep athletes physically fit, for the race is rigorous and
demanding. For Christians, we need not only keep physically fit, honoring
our bodies that are temples of the Holy Spirit, but more especially we are
to keep spiritually fit. We must be fit for the fight. This means that our
goal must be to be holy as God is holy, so that we can become His fitting
and worthy instruments in the world.
Paul was
very deliberate. “Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. Thus
I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I
drive my body and train it” (1 Cor 9:25a,26-27a). And if athletes train
in this way for a human race, how much more Christians! The athletes “do
it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.” (1 Cor
9:25b). The winning athlete will have his one-time moment of glory, but we
will share in God’s glory for all eternity.
Further,
such training and keeping fit is throughout our lifetime. We must keep at
it. We must be faithful every day to our prayer time and our Bible
reading. We must be faithful to our life and mission in community. We must
keep moving ahead on the path to holiness. We can never take our current
spiritual standing with God for granted. Paul had this attitude, saying,
“for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be
disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:27b). Now that would be a tragedy.
Team
support
Great
athletes are not self-made persons. They cannot achieve their greatest
potential without others helping them. An athlete needs his coach,
trainer, teammates (as in a relay race), nutritionist, physical therapist,
and his supporters cheering him on. For us Christians, this team support
is provided by our community (parish and/or religious group).
It is
Christian community that provides us the environment of training, support
and growth. Here we undergo formation, are given fraternal correction,
receive encouragement and inspiration. Here we have opportunities to serve
which helps us to grow, and are enabled to move forward together in
communal holiness.
And all
share in victory or defeat. “Now you are Christ’s body, and
individually parts of it. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with
it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.” (1 Cor
12:27,26). We are all in this race together.
Endurance
The race is
tough. The demand on physical bodies is extreme. The goal often seems so
far away. Athletes can only finish the race if they endure, if they
persevere, if they fight discouragement and fatigue, if they call upon
that extra ounce of strength that is always within them.
It is the
same with the Christian life. We must endure. We must persevere. “It is
necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
(Acts 14:22b). There will be disappointments coming even from brethren.
There will be persecution from worldly secular powers. There will be
oppression from the evil one. There will be crosses to carry.
How do we
endure? We go back to what we started with: we keep our eyes fixed on
Jesus and the goal of salvation and eternal glory. So “let us …..
persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes
fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.” (Heb 12:1c-2a). And
as we look to Jesus, we look to his holiness and righteousness, and to his
telling us to follow him and walk in his ways. Thus we also “rid
ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us” (Heb 12:1b). These
are what weigh us down in our running the race.
And
finally, we are to endure all and do so with joy, just like Jesus did.
“For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross,
despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the
throne of God.” (Heb 12:2b). If we follow Jesus, that path leads us all
the way to the cross. We are to embrace the cross of Christ. But that path
also leads us beyond the cross, into the very throne room of God.
Running
to win
And so my
dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I urge you, “Run so as to win.”
(1 Cor 9:24b). Be not mediocre in your Christian life. Be not co-opted by
the comforts of life. Be not distracted by the allures of the world. Do
not give in to the demands of the flesh. Resist the temptations of the
enemy. Be single-minded for God. Give your all and hold nothing back. And
already rejoice in the victory that is at hand.
And so the
race is before us. God has provided whatever we need to finish the race
and win. Now it is up to us.
I pray that
all of us can be able to say, with Paul: “I have competed well; I have
finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of
righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me
on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his
appearance.” (2 Tm 4:7-8).
See you all
at the finish line!
God bless
us all.
Your fellow
runner in the race,
Frank Padilla
