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I saw something else under the sun. The race isn’t won by fast runners, or the battle by heroes. Wise people don’t necessarily have food. Intelligent people don’t necessarily have riches, and skilled people don’t necessarily receive special treatment. But time and unpredictable events overtake all of them.
Ecclesiastes 9:11

Life is a race that is set before us.

As soon as a baby is born, the race begins in earnest. However, the Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 9:11 that “the race is not always won by the fastest runner.” There are many distractions that we may encounter as we journey through life. This is why we need to focus on Jesus Christ, as He has experienced life. He alone can guide us as we run the race that is set before us.

The Bible says in Hebrews 12:2:

We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Now he holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne.

Life is all about the choices we make. As soon as a child is knowledgeable enough, he begins to make choices that will shape his life and destiny. In Proverbs 1:8-19, King Solomon had this advice for his son:

⁸ My son, listen to your father’s discipline, and do not neglect your mother’s teachings,

⁹ because discipline and teachings are a graceful garland on your head and a golden chain around your neck.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners lure you, do not go along.

¹¹ If they say, “Come with us. Let’s set an ambush to kill someone. Let’s hide to ambush innocent people for fun.

¹² We’ll swallow them alive like the grave, like those in good health who go into the pit.

¹³ We’ll find all kinds of valuable possessions. We’ll fill our homes with stolen goods.

¹⁴ Join us. We’ll split the loot equally.”

¹⁵ My son, do not follow them in their way. Do not even set foot on their path,

¹⁶ because they rush to do evil and hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷ It does no good to spread a net within the sight of any bird.

¹⁸ But these people set an ambush for their own murder. They go into hiding only to lose their lives.

¹⁹ This is what happens to everyone who is greedy for unjust gain. Greed takes away his life.

Clearly, a person can make poor choices in life. Peer pressure and the desire to belong to the right group can push a person down the slope to destruction. Oftentimes, false assurance given by bad friends can embolden a person to join forces with them.

However, the Bible is very clear on the judgment that awaits such a person.

Proverbs 11:21 says:

Certainly, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the descendants of righteous people will escape.

In fairness, most people do not take to a life of crime. However, we all need to examine ourselves and the way we treat others. For example, how do you treat the neighbor who lives down the street? Do you relate to your neighbors with kindness or do you treat them harshly, just because they are different from you? Have you ever “ganged up” against an innocent person because others were doing so? Do you gossip about others, but pretend to like them? Do you treat others with dignity and respect, or do you treat them shabbily and in a disrespectful manner? How do you treat church members? The money or wealth you possess, was it earned through hard work, or did you cheat others to acquire it? Remember what Jesus Christ said in Mark 8:36:

What good does it do for people to win the whole world yet lose their lives?

In Luke 12:16-20, Jesus Christ used an excellent story to illustrate the futility of living life just to store up wealth:

¹⁶ Then he used this illustration. He said, “A rich man had land that produced good crops. ¹⁷ He thought, ‘What should I do? I don’t have enough room to store my crops.’ ¹⁸ He said, ‘I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones so that I can store all my grain and goods in them. ¹⁹ Then I’ll say to myself, “You’ve stored up a lot of good things for years to come. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! I will demand your life from you tonight! Now who will get what you’ve accumulated?’

So, what can we use as a blueprint for the “Race of Life?”

In Psalm 15, the Bible says:

¹ O Lord, who may stay in your tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?

² The one who walks with integrity, does what is righteous, and speaks the truth within his heart.

³ The one who does not slander with his tongue, do evil to a friend, or bring disgrace on his neighbor.

⁴ The one who despises those rejected by God but honors those who fear the Lord. The one who makes a promise and does not break it, even though he is hurt by it.

⁵ The one who does not collect interest on a loan or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

No matter where we are in the race of life, let us pause and assess our progress. It does not matter what we have done in the past, there is still room for repentance at any stage of our lives.

Today, let us run back to Jesus.

Do you even know the Lord Jesus?

Did you know him in the past, but have backslid and are far away from him? Jesus is waiting for you! He alone can forgive and cleanse us of all our sins. Afterwards, we can say like the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7-8:

⁷ I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith. ⁸ The prize that shows I have God’s approval is now waiting for me. The Lord, who is a fair judge, will give me that prize on that day. He will give it not only to me but also to everyone who is eagerly waiting for him to come again.

Jesus is calling you today. He is saying to you:

Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

If you want to accept this invitation, pray to God.

You can say something like this:

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I confess my sins before you today. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I want to know you personally. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in and be my Lord and personal Savior. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. In Jesus name I have prayed. Amen.

If you have sincerely put your trust in Jesus to be your Savior, welcome to the household of God!

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