Running the Wrong Race? God's Finish Line Hits Different 🏃♂️🏁
As a follower of Christ, I'm sure you tell yourself and others that your primary goal in this life is to glorify God. If that's really how you feel, and not just an empty phrase you say because it sounds good, then we should take time to know what disgusts God.
What Disgusts God vs What He Loves 👀
Proverbs 15:9 (The Message): "A life frittered away disgusts God; he loves those who run straight for the finish line."
God, according to Proverbs 15:9, is disgusted when we (excuse my directnesses) piss away our:
Lives
Talents
Experiences
Money
Athletic abilities
What God loves:
When we run straight to and through His finish lines with no distractions 🏁
When we live a lifestyle that makes His finish lines for life overall, relationships with others along with our coaching or sports experiences our only priority
When we develop the spiritual toughness to live a lifestyle that does not distract us - pull us off the path of the finish line He has for us
Repentance 🙏
Think about how many times previously you have pissed away:
Days
Moments
Experiences
Opportunities
By not knowing and/or not going straight through God's finish lines. List as many as you care to along with a note of repentance, thankfulness that you are forgiven and with humility ask God in your own words to transform your heart, and spirit to live a lifestyle that's no longer distracted from His finish lines.
Check Your Game Plan 🏀
Step 1 - Read These Verses and take notes as you feel the Spirit move through you.
Scripture to Study 📖
Proverbs 15:9 (The Message): "A life frittered away disgusts God; he loves those who run straight for the finish line."
Proverbs 4:25-27 (TPT): "Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life's distractions. Watch where you're going! Stick to the path of truth, and the road will be safe and smooth before you. Don't allow yourself to be sidetracked for even a moment or take the detour that leads to darkness."
Proverbs 23:15-16 (TPT): "My beloved child, when your heart is full of wisdom, my heart is full of gladness."
Proverbs 9:9-10 (TPT): "Teach a wise man what is right and he'll grow even wiser. Instruct the lovers of God and they'll learn even more. The starting point for acquiring wisdom is to be consumed with awe as you worship YAHWEH. To receive the revelation of the Holy One, you must come to the one who has living-understanding."
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT): "...And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith."
Hebrews 12:2-3 (The Message): " Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God."
John 8:12 (TPT): "Then Jesus said, 'I am light to the world, and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.'"
My Spirit-led summary after reading the verses: "When we have wisdom, it pleases God, and wisdom comes from our awe of Jesus. Jesus, the source of our wisdom, has already conquered the races we are trying to win. When we keep our eyes on and study the One we worship, adore and are in awe of—Jesus—The wisdom we acquire will lead us to run with His perfect faith and stay on His path of life-giving light that leads straight through the finish lines that matter."
Step 2 - Ask yourself:
What areas of your life as an athlete or coach do you feel like you know what God's finish lines are for you and what's your gameplan to run to and through it without distraction?
What areas in life outside of athletics do you feel like you know what God's finish lines are for you and what's your gameplan to run to and through it without distraction?
What areas in your life both athletically and non, are you struggling to either know the finish lines, or you continually struggle to stay on the course that leads you straight to the finish line?
Remember This 💯
Take a moment and understand that God's finish line is not the world's finish line and it's not yours either. God has provided you everything you need to run His race and complete it. Since that's the case you must understand that when you surrender to running His race, His finish line for your life, athletic experiences and everything else maybe in the opposite direction of the finish lines the world, or even yourself has for you. With that said, are you ready and prepared to discover and run through God's finish lines?
Plan of Action 🏁
Through your relationship with God and the Holy Spirit within, fellowshipping with wise followers, reading the Bible and praying, identify the races God is calling you to run and finish lines He's equipped you to run through
Surrender to those finish lines, even if they are the opposite direction of where you are moving with trust that God's plan is the most fulfilling plan
Eliminate everything and everybody that is capable of distracting you from running straight ahead to God's finish lines