“God doesn’t prize the strength of a horse; God doesn’t treasure the legs of a runner. No. The Lord treasures the people who honor him, the people who wait for his faithful love.” (Psalm 147:10-11 CEB)

Do you like sports?

I’m by no means a sports fanatic, but I really like basketball. I played in an organized fashion through high school and, to this day, continue to join pick-up games from time to time. Basketball is a rapid-paced recreational activity. Amidst a fast break toward the basket there’s no time to give careful thought to what you’re going to do; it’s all about instinct, impulse, muscle memory.

Not too long ago I was playing a game of five on five and my reflexes took over— before I realized what I was doing, I was launching a high-speed, no-look pass halfway across the court. It was a body-contorting move that, fifteen years ago, would have given me no trouble at all, but was, in this moment, inducing an instantaneous back spasm (apparently my muscles have a selective memory).

Whether it’s sports or performing arts, or even making money, our world has always valued exceptionalism. We celebrate those who are the best at what they do. The champions, the titans, the conquerors; they are our heroes.

We honor winners. We pity losers. And so, instead of risking humiliation or injury, a lot of us decide to just sit on the sidelines and watch while other people play. Those high-stakes competitions, they’re not for us.

“So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne.” (Heb 12:1-2)

The race that God has laid out in front of us, the race we are all invited to run as followers of Jesus Christ, has nothing to do with competition. Jesus has already been to the finish line. He clenched the gold medal about two thousand years ago when he endured the cross on our behalf. Now he continues to run the marathon of life alongside us, encouraging us, sometimes carrying us, urging us to keep running toward the finish line where a heavenly assembly cheers us on.

The race that God has laid out in front of us is not one that requires us to over-exert ourselves. We can avoid spiritual back spasms by remembering that Jesus is the one who perfects our faith. God has poured out the Holy Spirit into our hearts in order to provide everything we need to endure hardships, develop character, and run our race with unshakeable hope (C.f. Rom 5:5).

Christianity was never meant to be a spectator sport. Jesus is putting a team together and he wants you on it. So slip on the sneakers of faith and get moving!

Dear God, we have experienced pain and humiliation in life. We are hesitant to embrace our calling as your people— those who have been gathered, equipped, and sent out to represent your kingdom on this earth. Help us to focus less on our weaknesses and instead fix our eyes on Jesus. Help us to have faith that the joy he experienced on the other side of suffering also awaits us. Amen.