Recently, my husband and I have seen these videos online of people who have left one-star reviews on recipes. It’s not that the recipe in and of itself was bad. It’s that the person following the recipe did not do it correctly.
Most of the bakers were trying to make shortcuts or terrible substitutions. One baker was supposed to bake her dessert at 300 degrees. She said that she was in a hurry and instead baked it at 450 degrees for half the time. Needless to say, the dessert was burnt on the outside and raw on the inside.
One person was following a recipe that called for peaches. They don’t like peaches, so they decided to use carrots instead because they are the same color. The taste was not as it should be.
Even though the person finished the recipe, they did not really finish it, and the results showed. They tried to make shortcuts or substitutions that had nothing to do with the recipe in front of them.
When I think about my life with Christ, I pray that I finish the race unlike these bakers but finish it well.
At the end of the book of Colossians, we read Paul’s final greetings and instructions to the church. As he is ending, he commends his friend Archippus to “complete the ministry you received in the Lord” (4:17). Archippus was more than likely a church leader with a specific role.
Though Paul was addressing his friend, this call is also for all believers. We have all been given a ministry to share the gospel and make disciples, and we are to do it faithfully until the Lord calls us home.
For those who are believers, I think we can all agree that we want to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21) at the end of our lives when we are standing face-to-face with God.
If you’ve paid attention to the news at all over the past ten years or more, you see that this doesn’t always happen for believers. We often hear of people we thought were men and women of the faith who didn’t finish well. They either began living for the world as opposed to Christ, or their hidden sin was found out.
The Christian life is often compared to a marathon. If we are to live as women who finish well, we are to be diligent in order to finish the ministry the Lord has given to us.
Train for the Race
The first thing we are to do is to train for the race. I am not a runner. If I were ever going to run a race, I would need to train. If I tried right now, I would probably pull a hamstring at the starting line. It would require discipline, dedication, and a plan.
The same is true in our walk with Christ. When we trust in Christ, we don’t say, “That’s good enough. I’ll see you in heaven.” That would actually be ridiculous.
Instead, we want to know Jesus more. We want to understand His Word and live for Him. We do this through establishing spiritual disciplines like studying Scripture, prayer, mediating on the Word, service, confession, and so many more.
Though there are many resources available online to help you know where to start, one of the greatest things you can do in training is to have a partner or team. It is having accountability.
We know that the Christian life is not always up and to the right. There are ups and downs. There are temptations as the enemy wants to do everything in his power to keep us from growing in our faith and being effective for Christ. This is why it is vital to invite others into your relationship with Jesus. After all, Jesus left us His Church.
In doing this, we allow others to speak into our lives, see areas where we may be blind, and encourage us to keep going.
One other thing to know with training in the Christian life is that it is a lifelong process. This is what sanctification is. It is growing more into the image of Christ. It is something we will be doing all of our days. If you are someone that likes instant gratification, I’m going to disappoint you. Walking with Jesus is not something you can achieve or master. It is a daily process of abiding.
Run the Race Well
As we are training, which will be all of our days, we are also to make sure that we are running the race well.
I have a friend that is a runner. She talks often about her race strategy and how she has learned to pace herself and how she reviews her races to help prepare for the next. One thing is true for her. No matter how her previous races go, she continues to move forward.
In our mission, there are ways we can make sure that we’re running the race well.
The best way we can run the race well is to never get over the gospel. The gospel is the good news that Jesus is alive and has won our salvation. It is that we can come to Him by grace through faith and find forgiveness and peace. It is the truth that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. The riches of our union with Him are vast (Ephesians 1).
When we daily reflect on the truth of the gospel, it changes our perspective on life. We see the privilege and joy that comes from walking in step with Christ. It changes the way we view others. We know that we have been forgiven; therefore, we forgive others. We know that God cares for orphan and widow, so we dedicate our time, talents, and treasures to care for the least of these.
We never outgrow the gospel.
The other way is living in the light (1 John 1:7). This is living in a way that is visible to others. Sin is subtle and can easily bring us off course. If we begin to harbor sins, no matter how small, they can quickly grow and hinder our relationship with Jesus. Having community around us who knows the ins and outs of who we are, our habits, and our struggles, we put in a layer of protection from being disqualified from the race.
With this, we have to also make sure we are being open and honest with those around us. If we only provide half-truths or try to make our sinful actions sound better than they are, it does us no good.
Another way we run the race well is by keeping our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). He is our source of life and the one who has gone before us in the race. Jesus has marked out the course, and He is waiting at the finish line for us.
If we keep moving steadily forward following his path, we will find that the race is much easier. This comes from abiding in Him (John 15). We get to know our Savior through reading His Word and spending time in prayer. We show others what He is like by living fully surrendered to His will and ways and giving our lives for the sake of the gospel. It is being part of the local church and using your gifts to build it up.
When we do this with our eyes fixed on Him, we will run the race well.
Receive the Prize
And then when our days come to an end, we will receive the prize. Though Paul was not at the end of his life, he had faithfully given it up for the gospel. Paul would finish the race and finish it well. He is now in eternity with Jesus Christ.
When our days are hard and we’re not sure if we can keep going, we can remember the finish line. Living with an eternal perspective helps us to rightfully view life here on earth knowing that what is to come is far greater.
For those who are in Christ, we know that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). Our eternity is secure. Even though this is true, we don’t want to miss out on the blessing of running the race of the Christian life well.
God has invited us to be part of His mission. We only have a short period of time to be part of it. I pray that at the end of your days, you will be able to stand before the Savior thankful for all that He is done in your life and that you are able to see the line of people who have come to know Christ and grown in Him through the way that you leveraged your life.
May we not live a one-star life as those who tried and failed to follow a recipe.
As we think about completing the race of the Christian life well, I echo the way that Paul finishes his epistle to the Colossians. Grace and peace to you through our Lord Jesus Christ. May He strengthen you as you walk and live in Him because a life in Christ far outweighs anything this world has to offer.
