Have you ever began a race that you have already won? When I was in high school, I struggled with insomnia. I couldn’t sleep. I would literally stay up for days thinking and worrying. I went to a doctor, and he suggested I start running. He also suggested I try to get all of my thinking and worrying out of the way when I ran. I remember the first night I ran. I decided to just run a few miles to start, but I became so engrossed in my thoughts I lost track of where I was. In those days we didn’t have cell phones. I had set out to run around 5pm with the intention to be back by dinner at 6:30pm. By the time I stopped it was 2am. My parents had called the police. You are probably thinking I am crazy, but the truth was I didn’t have a healthy way of working through my thoughts, and at the time didn’t have a strong relationship with Jesus. Thankfully, the cops found me, because a woman had called the police when she saw a young middle eastern looking dude standing out side of her house. This just gets creepier and creepier, I know.
From that experience my dad suggested I run on the track at my high school. As Forest Gump used to say, “I was runnin'.” One day I was running and a few people were out for a walk on the track, and one of them made a joke about me winning the race every time. She said I won because I was the only one racing. In many ways that was true. I started sleeping better, I was staying in shape and I began to make peace with the Lord. Just by running the race I had won.
For those of us who are in Christ, we run the race of life in victory because of what He did in victory on the cross. In John 19:28-30, we see Jesus dying on the Cross declaring, “It is finished.” He uses the Greek word tetelestai, which represents a transaction being paid on a billing document. These documents were used when someone owed a debt or a slave was purchased out of slavery. When you follow Jesus, you win. You have eternal life, the transaction of sin has been paid. You are no longer defined by death, destruction and continued self defeat. You can rest in peace knowing that He’s got you covered. You can run the race with confidence, knowing it will be okay. As we head toward Easter weekend and look at the life he gives us in the resurrection, remember you can live this life trusting that Jesus has taken care of you.
See you Sunday,
Michael