"Chariots of Fire" is one

"Chariots of Fire" is one of my favorite movies. It is about Eric Liddell. I like the way Eric stands strong for his beliefs. I like the way he remains firm despite persecution. (By the way, I love the way Dino Kartsonakis plays the theme song from the movie!) The thing I like best about the movie is the way Eric keeps his focus on the end goal which is winning the race. When I taught the Precept course on 2 Timothy I had a chance to study about runners some. (2 Tim. 2:5) In our study, we looked at 1 Corinthians 9:24(NAS), "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." I took some time to go to the library and read about how athletes run and prepare for a race. What spoke to me the most and what I can still apply to my life is the track on which they run. They have a very lined out, defined path that they are supposed to run in. It is not really very wide. They cannot look at any other runners beside or behind them. If they take even a moment to look at another runner, they have touched or crossed the line. This disqualifies them from the race. I can apply that practically to my life when Paul speaks about "running the race". He is referring to the Christian walk, of course. I find that my walk with the Lord goes much smoother if I keep my focus on Jesus. If I focus on other runners (people) around me or even my circumstances, I look down and I have messed up the race again. Sometimes I find myself doing this much too often. How do I get back on the right track? I simply take my eyes off the circumstance or person and put them back on the "finish line" (Jesus). Works every time for me! "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". (Philippians 3:13-14 NAS)

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