Girl, Get Your Groove On!Àpẹrẹ

When my oldest daughter entered seventh grade, she joined the school’s Cross Country team. Graced with a transparent spirit, she gave me the daily rundown: “It was hard, but I could’ve run faster.” Or “I didn’t do my best, I stayed in the back to run with a friend.”

This went on for weeks.

Finally, before the first meet, I sat her down. “Sweetheart, I don’t think you understand what you signed up for. Cross Country isn’t a jogging club—it’s a sport. Your coach expects you to run like a competitor. He doesn’t want to hear how you could have done better or why you didn’t give it your all. He expects you to run to win.”

Sometimes, we treat our faith the same way.

We recognize we could have done more, or we become less devoted to Christ to hang with a friend. But following Jesus isn’t a hobby—it’s a calling. It’s not about sticking with the pack or jogging comfortably. Paul saw a similar mindset in the Corinthian church.

Paul wanted believers to see their faith as a race—one they were meant to take seriously. He is afraid the believers in Corinth are approaching their Christian life like members in a jogging club rather than strategically placed in a race to be won.

God has called you and me to follow Him, regardless of our talents, abilities, or the lack thereof. He asks us to show up with all we’ve got and give Him our everything. That means letting go of whatever slows us down, chips away at our commitment, or keeps us from doing our best. No matter where we find ourselves, God has marked out a specific course for us to follow to the finish. On this course, we are to run—even if we cannot walk; and to do so in such a way that we are unflappable.

You don’t need to be the fastest, the strongest, or the most polished. But you do need to run with everything you’ve got because your placement isn’t random. And He’s looking for you to run to win.

My friend, Jesus can give you all that’s required.

So, start running like a winner.

Prayer

Jesus, help me take my place in the race You’ve marked out for me. Train my heart to run with purpose, to give You my best, and to never settle for casual faith. Amen.