The snail is not only a slow traveler, but also an aimless one. You can point it in one direction, come back an hour later and it is off course altogether.
Let’s not be like a snail!
So many things can compete for our attention that we are likely to lose sight of the real goal of life.
Let’s make up our mind once and for all that our spiritual interests must be first to run this race with a definite aim!
If we do, we will receive eternal rewards when we get to heaven.
How can we win our eternal rewards?
We can if we apply these 5 steps:
1. Be totally committed to Christ and His Word (Rom. 12:1-2).
2. Don’t weigh ourselves down (Heb. 12:1). We read: “let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
We need to say a decisive “no” to anything that could weigh us down or hold us back from running the race.
3. Keep our eyes riveted on Christ (Heb. 12:2). We read: “Rivet your eyes on Jesus the One Who started our faith and the One Who brings it to maturity.”
We cannot allow ourselves to get distracted from Him by the things in this life.
4. Keep refusing sin and continue claiming our victory by faith (Heb. 11:24-26, Rom. 6:6-11).
We need to be refusing things by the power of the Holy Spirit that could get in our way of our spiritual growth.
5. Keep tapping into His strength (Eph. 6:10-18).
In the Gold Medal race for Ladies Snowboarding, American, Lindsey Jacobellis started out with 3 other racers.
By the midpoint of the race, Jacobellis was alone, far in front, having escaped a crash that took out 2 of the 4 racers and delayed a 3rd.
As she had the finish line in sight, she reached the 2nd to last jump.
She was so far in front you couldn’t even see the 2nd place racer.
So, she did something she’ll regret for a long time.
She decided to do a little showboating, and grabbed her snowboard in midair and did a little squiggle in midair.
Unfortunately, this little act of showmanship caused her to lose her balance.
She crashed on her landing, and as she was struggling to get back up, Switzerland’s Tanja Frieden raced past her to claim to gold medal.
Jacobellis later gave this simple explanation for her behavior, “I was caught up in the moment.”
That is the problem, isn’t it?
When we get caught up in the moment and quit focusing on Christ and the eternal rewards He has for us, we lose our place in life.
We settle for 2nd place.
Let’s not settle for a second place Christian life or be a spiritual spectator, rather let’s run life’s race to win the imperishable prize that lasts forever!
Blessings!
Pastor Ken Keeler, Director of Church Ministries