Quit Your Race: Run His (A True Story)
Quit Your Race: Run His (A true Story)
Today, I had breakfast with an incredible leader and mentor. Every conversation with him is worth its weight in gold because of the overflow of love, encouragement, challenge, and conviction I receive. But today, I heard a story I had never known about his background—one that left a lasting impact on me.
In his younger days, he was a track star—one of the top three in the state in the 200 meters. He continued running in college and even had an opportunity to leave school to train for the Olympics. However, he grew up in a strict religious family that honored the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. If a meet fell on those days, he didn’t run.
His senior year, the state qualifiers were set for a Friday, just minutes before sundown. No problem—he would finish with time to spare. But then, the starter ran out of blanks and had to retrieve more for the starting gun. The race was delayed, and suddenly, the starting gun was set to fire after sundown. In that moment, he made the decision to run anyway.
As he rounded the corner into the straightaway, he was facing west—looking straight into an already set sun. His legs seemed to move in slow motion as the weight of breaking his commitment to the Lord sank in. Though he had been in first place heading into his strongest stretch, he finished fifth. At that moment, he knew: his commitment to the Lord superseded all else. That experience solidified his decision to enter full-time ministry.
We see moments like this in an instant in the gospel as well—just look at the story of Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector, a profession that made him wealthy but also despised among his fellow Jews. Tax collectors worked for the Roman government and often overcharged people for personal gain. Yet in Matthew 9:9, Jesus saw him sitting at his tax booth and simply said, “Follow me.” Things changed for Matthew in that exact moment.
Matthew’s story reminds us of the power of obedience to a call. He was running his own race, but in a moment decided to join Jesus on a whole new track. Unlike fishermen like Peter and Andrew, who could return to their trade if things didn’t work out, tax collecting was a government-appointed job—once Matthew left, there was no going back. Yet, without hesitation, he got up, left everything behind, and followed. While our decisions don't always need to be as dramatic, the illustration here is powerful.
Take a few minutes today—on your drive home, or before you fall asleep—to reflect. Is there a moment in your life that changed the direction of your conviction? A time when you chose to run your own race rather than follow what your faith called you to? I can recall the moment when things changed for me personally — what a beautiful moment that was.
Evaluate the race you're running. Are you staring into an already set sun, realizing you’ve been running for yourself? Or do you have the green light to take off down the straightaway, running the race He has set before you?
-Mark
