When I was growing up, my dad had a phrase he'd use as his way of offering encouragement. When he saw someone struggling with something in their life, he would say, "Get up and win the race!" I didn't get it, especially since the situation didn't usually involve a race, but I thought it sounded inspiring and it seemed like good advice.
As I got older and I would hear him say that, I used to think it was kind of corny. I realized he was speaking metaphorically, but I still felt like I really didn't need that advice. I watched other people make their mistakes and I learned from them. There was no doubt in my mind that I was not going to make the mistakes that other people had made and I knew that I would never place myself in a position to end up needing that advice. Every time a friend or acquaintance found themselves in tough circumstances, I used to think, "Wow. There's no way I'd allow myself to get into a mess like that." If you're smart and you work hard, life is going to go your way, right? Yup, I really was that naive.
Now I'm older and I've fallen down many times (literally and figuratively) and I know that it's not always possible to control the situations life deals out. Sometimes things just go wrong and you can't do much about it. Everyone falls at some point, but to have the resolve and the persistence to get back up each time is not easy. It takes grit and determination and even that is not enough.
Hebrews 12:1–3 says, "1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." God has given us the strength to get back up each time and has set an example for us in His son, Jesus.
This race is not about coming out ahead of everyone else, but about fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and keeping the faith (2 Timothy 4). It's about getting up each time we fall and not giving up, despite what life throws at us.
