Did y’all ever do relay races when you were in school? Where the guy in front of you runs, and then comes back and passes the baton to you – then you run, and come back and pass the baton to the next guy, and so on? The Bible talks a lot about “running the race.” The Greeks (the culture in which 
much of the new testament was written) were very into physical fitness. We get our word gymnasium from them, and also the concept of our Olympic games. They made big strides, for the time, in medicine, nutrition, and physical fitness due to their commitment to athleticism. So, it’s not a surprise that some of the illustrations we have from Bible texts are sports illustrations.
Hebrews 12:1 ESV Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us
But we aren’t running it alone y’all. There is a TEAM. Since before the first man – Adam – God has had a plan. He knew you were coming. He knew your neighbor and your best friend were going to be here. He wasn’t surprised when I was born. He knew us BEFORE we were formed in the wombs of our mamas (Jeremiah 1:5). He had a plan for WHO you are and for WHEN you would be on this earth. He may or may not have ordained the circumstances, but it was NOT a shock to Him that you are here. He knew which gifts, talents, and abilities we would have. 
He also knew how he planned for us to use those gifts to build the kingdom. But we aren’t starting from scratch, y’all! We are simply picking up the baton from somebody before us! We are in a race, to be sure – but it is a RELAY RACE! We are building the kingdom, but we are doing our part.
It’s up to us how well we do our part. Are you going to be slow and sluggish and put the team behind where it COULD be? Is your team going to have to look to somebody else to make up the time where you didn’t do your best? Or are you going to run the race well? Are you going to leave your team ahead when the time comes for you to hand off the baton?
(If this was a multi-media presentation, right about here would be where the theme song to Rocky would start playing… Cue the visual of Rocky running the steps…)
Obviously, you can’t do anything about the past. It’s done. You can’t go back and change it. And THANK GOD He doesn’t consult our past to determine our future! It’s the enemy who brings up our past! So you can get up out of the dirt, stop dragging your feet, and make a strong ending! You can start from where you are and RUN! It takes commitment and discipline, 
to be sure. But the good news is that we have THE BEST TRAINER! He STAYS with us (Isaiah 41:10). He wrote the book on discipline, and self-control (1 Corinthians 9:24-27), and allowing the Holy Spirit within you to control your body (instead of giving your body all the control).
Philippians 3:13-14 ESV Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Start from where you are, no looking back! Drop the sin that you have been carrying and allowing to weigh you down. Pick up the baton. Use your gifts and talents to build the kingdom! Run a good race! I don’t know about you, but when I get to heaven I want to come screeching in with sweaty clothes and hair that looks like I got caught in a tornado. The soles will be worn off of my tennis shoes, but I’ll be smilin’, y’all! I want to say that I have given my race every last ounce of what God gave me. Nothing left! Whatever season you are in, TAKE THE GOSPEL AND RUN WITH IT Y’ALL!!
Please feel free to share our posts and our blog site, and leave comments below! We are so glad you are here!