The Pond Race
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? – Galatians 5:7
When I was younger, I loved running, especially when it came to racing against others. When I was about nine years old,
I attended a summer day-camp. The camp counselors took us to a park that had a huge pond, and it was announced that there would be a race. There must
have been at least twenty kids who participated. When the whistle blew, everyone took off as fast as they could. We had to run one lap around the pond
and the person who crossed the finish line first was the winner. I ran swiftly, passing other kids left and right.
At first the race seemed effortless. Unfortunately, as I was approaching the finish line, something happened. Although I could hear people on the sideline
cheering me on, I became increasingly tired. Because I had not paced myself at the onset of the race, I became winded as I neared the finish line.
When I felt myself slowing down, I became convinced that the race really was not that important, so I slowed down and walked the rest of the way to
the finish line. Needless to say, many onlookers wondered why I had stopped running. Why would a person in the lead decide to quit?
When I reflect on this childhood event, I think about the spiritual race that Christians are running. Sometimes I can almost hear Jesus say, “Don’t quit
now, you’re almost there!” Thank God for Jesus and His encouraging words of love found in the Bible. As we root for one another in this Christian race,
we know that Jesus is cheering us on too. He has made every provision for us to run this race victoriously, and if we pace ourselves by the instructions
in His Word, we will be winners.