Running the race or going along to get along?

 Christmas is here, the day we celebrate the birth of the Savior. Yet for most it's a day for family, a week or month stressing over gifts, decorations, and travel. The gear up for it starts all the way back in October, goes through November and kicks into full gear in December. Then on the 25th of December the culmination of the Christmas season is here and gone.

Easter is a week long thing we do to recognize the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ. Some do the 40 day Lent thing which is neither here nor there, Palm Sunday through Resurrection Sunday, that is Easter.

So let us assume for the sake of argument that we truly celebrate Christmas for 2 weeks, Easter for 1.

That is 3 weeks out of the year. 3 weeks that the whole world at some level slows down and is aware of Christ.

What about the other 49 weeks of the year? What about the other 344 days of the year? Are they aware of Christ? Are they aware of the Savior through you? 

Do they see you faithful and true the other weeks of the year? Do they see you celebrating Christ all the other days of the year? Is your testimony as strong on June 20 as it appears to be on 25 Dec?

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and 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. 

Jesus came to this earth knowing from day one when His race would be over. We do not have that problem (I would even call it a curse, knowing the day of our death), most of us today do not have a cross we are facing.

Most of us have it easy and soft in life, most of us face more persecution from political stances than for the religious stands. But that is probably because most do not take religious stands, moral standards and boundaries do not exist for most of us, because judging people is bad. 

I agree we can not hold sinners to our standards for we are under the blood and God has opened our eyes to the sin plague on the world, but our fellow christian who is not setting an example or being a positive testimony can be, must be judged and held accountable.

We have no standards that we maintain that set us apart from the world. Most of the time they only know we are different because we remind them incessantly that we are Christian even though we live and do just like them. If we must tell them for them to know then we are doing something wrong.

Paul tells us that we must run with patience the race that is set before us, the wording is very specific, the race that IS set before us. There is no option if you are a Christ follower. This is a lifetime commitment you have made when you accepted Christ.

A race you must run till the end, you can not stop, you can not do it at your convenience. You must run when the starter pistol goes off until you reach the finish line, There is no rest stop on the track, there is no where you can not be seen on the the track, there is only the track and the steady plodding along.

Today's christian wants it to be a relay race, when in fact you can have no one run it for you, there are no hand offs, no respite from the race, no team, just you. Just you. Just you and the track laid out in front of you.

In a race there are rules, boundaries, a start point and a finish line. You can not vary from the track, you can not make it up as you go, you have a set path, and you must go that way, there is no other option.

2Ti 4:7  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 

Paul stayed true to his path, his course set before him, he finished his race. He fought and ran every day, EVERY DAY.

Oh that the modern christian might come to a better understanding of what every day means. Every day a witness, a testimony, a light to a lost and dying world.

We think that an hour a week, 3 or 4 weeks a year, that is all we have to do, that we can skate by if we but meet the minimum.

That is not true. Christ gave His all, God gave His all, How can we do any less? How can we be happy if we give less than our all? How can we be satisfied if we are true Christ followers with just the minimum?

Come the day of the BEMA seat many "Christians" are going to be greatly shocked, That's if they make it that far. How many of us self professed "christians" will make it? How many of us are truly going to be called good and faithful?

First we have to be faithful in order to achieve that title. Day in, day out, weekly, monthly, yearly. Run the race, complete the course.