Running the Race

A man named John Henry Newman once wrote, "How few there are who live by any other rule than that of their own ease, habit, inclination, as the case may be, on the one hand, and of external circumstances on the other! With how few is the will of God an habitual object of thought, or search, or love, or obedience!"

How hard it is to every day begin again with God. To recommit ourselves to Him daily, to His will and desire. Often times the distractions of everyday life makes it hard to hear His voice. How often it is difficult to not fall into despair with the constant sinful nature we have. We are constantly being told by society that moral standards are old fashioned, prude, unnecessary, only to add to the doubt and despair that we may be fighting against. Our selfish nature wants ITS way, not God's way.

"Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain."1 Corinthians 9:24

But how do we "run the race"?  I'm no theologian, but I think there are a few things we can do.  First, increase our prayer life and ask God to help us, to fill us with the desire to love Him, the desire to do His will, the ability to hear His voice, and the wisdom to understand.  Second, learn and study His Word.  I think its also important not to constantly surround ourselves with music, t.v., movies that are contrary to what God deems appropriate - in doing so we become desensitized and hearts hardened. 

Also, as a Catholic, participation in the Sacraments, including Confession is essential.  I know that a lot of non-Catholics do not fully understand the power of Confession, but it is indeed powerful.  One can pray to God for forgiveness alone, and God alone does forgive (not the priest, as many believe wrongly), but I think it's easier to just pray to God for forgiveness by ourself and then continue to fall into old ways vs. the accountability involved with participating in Confession.  When you know you will have to stand before God, with a priest as Christ's respresentative, I find that in my daily life I start to think twice before commiting a sin that has always been really hard to overcome - because I don't want to have to confess it again and again and again.  Not to mention the peace and forgiveness that is felt within that helps you to pick up where you left off and continue your walk with Christ.

I also think that we need to remind ourselves that we are works in progress.  We are human, we do have a fallen nature, but the more we seek God, the more we try to follow Christ, the more we endure our individual race and the crosses that come with it, the more Christ lives inside us.   The more we do these things, the more we'll be able to habitually make God number one in our lives!


So daily, I try to "run the race".  Some days I may fail miserably, but we are taught to endure - to finish the race we've begun.  To pray for and breathe in God's mercy when we fall, and lean on Him for the strength to stand up and to keep going.