A Finish-Line Focus

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14

While sitting at the track the other day waiting for a friend, I watched the academy PE class do a relay race. What started out to be just merely watching the cute kids run, turned into me silently cheering for this one little fella. The first race he almost won, but was overtaken and defeated by a girl from the other team. I noticed he kept looking back, and with each look back he lost pace, speed, and ground. When I realized they were doing a second race, I sat on the edge of my seat as the baton was passed to my little fella. Silently, then audibly, I kept saying, "Don't look back, don't look back, don't look back - just keep running, keep going forward. . ." and He did just that.

He ran as hard as he could and he kept his ground. He won because he didn't look back; he only dug in, looked forward, and ran towards the finish line with all he had. Not even a glance back to see what was trailing him. As he crossed the finish line, I wanted to run down to the field, grab that little guy and hug him, but instead I just sat there watching. After he crossed the finish line he immediately went over to the grass and collapsed. Poor kid was exhausted! But, his PE teacher came over and picked him up off the ground and gave him a high five followed by the words, "You did it! Awesome job! You ran hard and finished first!"

I sat there smiling over the little guy's victory. I chuckled at myself for getting so wrapped up in a simple elementary school PE activity. Yet, in my chuckle, I felt God tap my shoulder and nudge me as if to say, "You're running a race, too, kiddo." Ouch.

I sat there going through all the happenings of that little boy's victory. First, his failure; He kept looking back and it cost him what could have been a great victory in the first race. Then, he reflected only on the failure to find the things that caused the failure - to find what needed to be re-worked. Next, came the victory, as he kept his eyes focused on the finish line. He didn't look back, not  once, he kept his focus and ran with all his might.

Just as I felt the nudge from God, the "You're running a race too, kiddo," I realized that in this life, it is not so much about what happened in the past as it is about learning from the past in order to run a more efficient and focused race ahead of me. There will be times when I stumble, but I have to get back up on my feet, re-focus and run with all my might toward the finish line. If I look back, I will get discouraged, I will fear, I will loose my ground; it may even cause me to fall and become seriously injured, leaving me in need of healing before I can continue the race.

Ultimately, when we focus on the finish line, victory is achieved. The victory of hearing, "You did it!" "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Yes, the journey is just as important as the goal  which is what makes looking forward so important.

A fixed gaze forward (not backward), not looking over your shoulder to woundings, scars, bad memories, things that hurt you, disappointment, discouragement, heartache, failure, . . . a list that could go on forever. Rather, God knows each of those and He has called us to lay aside those weights which so easily beset us, and press toward the goal, to finish well, yes, but to have run well with your eyes on Him, experiencing the awesome power of a Heaven-fixed gaze.

… A simple day at the track waiting for a friend turned into a first-hand lesson from God. I have heard it over and over that we have to look to God in everything and not look back. It made sense, yes, but to see that this little fella failed because he kept looking back, then to see him realize why he failed, and to finally watch him run that race with a forward-focus . . . well, my heart broke over my own wrongly focused vision and cheered for the lesson that little one had just painted for me.

May I become like my little fella at the track. May I have a finish-line focus, a good-race mentality, run my best, not look back, and finish strong.

Lord, may I run this race (my life) in a way that is pleasing to you. May I run this race strong - each and every stride. May I look forward, never behind. Help me, Lord, to realize that the race matters just as much as the finish line. And, that only in you will I find the strength to press forward, and the grace to leave the past behind.