Inner Race

Clock racing

Hearts pounding

Feet chasing

Breath heavy

Yet still in place

As we go through life, we all go through those moments where it feels like we are running at 100 miles a hour. There's this exhaustion that comes with it. Maybe not externally, but surely internally. As we run this internal race, because life is busy, hard, and stressful, we can feel misplaced or purposeless. We can be going and going and going for so long, we look around and start to wonder, why? Why am I running so hard? Why am I pushing through? Why am I trying to reach the end? The devil likes to lead us down the path of the "whys" and hopefully get us to give up on our End Goal. But, if we look around, in the tough, the heavy, the busy, we can see we have the Prize running with us, encouraging us, and waiting to meet us at the end. Why? For Him. What's my purpose? Him. To bring glory to Him with all that I do. But, if the devil can get us to overlook Him, to miss Him because we are so focused on the small things, we miss the biggest thing, then we throw in the towel. There have been days I wonder what it's all for, why I'm in the seasons I'm in, it doesn't make sense all the time, but then I remember my Why. And the beauty of Him? Not only is He our prize, He is our partner in the race. Life is a race, He is our Prize. So why do I try so hard, push through, strive for the end? Because I know Who it is all for and I know Who paved the track for me. My track may be different from yours, but it leads to the same end. Him, whether we stay with Him, or are cast away from Him. For some, their end goal is Him, for most, their end goal is a sin. What/Who do you envision as your prize at the end of your race? If you envision Him as your prize, are you living your life, running your race to bring glory, honor, and praise to His name or yours? At times, the race may seem in vain, but with Him at my finish line, I know that no step I take, no season I'm in is in vain.

The world tries to convince us we are running for all these different people and things, when we believe that, we feel purposeless. When anything but God is in our end view, it all seems meaningless. Because without Him, nothing fits, nothing falls in place, nothing feels right. With Him, everything is meaningful. The smallest step, the largest leap. The mountains high and the valleys low. It all adds to His story, nothing is in vain. It's all for Him! Nothing and no one else.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

-Colossians 3:23-24

It isn't about how fast you go, it's about Who/what you're doing it for, and Who/what is at your finish line. Let all that we do be for Him and His glory, that's enough motivation to go all in right where we are. Run as hard as you can towards Him, keep Him your focus, you'll win because He's already won.