It's easy to follow the crowd

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 's Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

During the 1990's in an NCAA Division II national championship cross-country race in California, a bizarre twist of events took place. Mike Delcavo and 127 of the best runners in the country were battling for glory over the 10,000 meter course. About three miles into the race, Delvaco was somewhere in the middle of the pack, when he realized that the runners had made a wrong turn. So he yelled out, "You're going the wrong way," but they didn't listen. Only 4 others followed Mike when he turned in the right direction...and suddenly, he found himself in the lead.

However that lasted only about a mile, since Mike and the runners who followed him soon reunited with the larger pack who, having gone the wrong way, actually shaved about a half a mile off the course, and were now in the lead again. The final blow came when, because so many of the runners had gone the wrong way, the officials changed the official course route to accommodate their error. So when Mike Delcavo finally crossed the finish line, he was number 103 overall.

At the end of the race, some of Delcavo's competitors "thought it was funny that he went the right way."

In our mixed up world, when everybody is wrong, then wrong becomes right. However, in the world to come there is only one Judge and He will not change the correct course regardless of how many or how few actually run it. His rewards will be based on our having stayed the true course.

It's easy to follow the crowd. But it takes courage and conviction to follow wholeheartedly after God. Sometimes it can get lonely running your race, wondering where the crowd is going, and even whether you, yourself are on the right road. But keep running with the Lord. And when the race is over and you have finished your course, may the He say to you, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"

Dear Lord, give us the courage to run the race before us even when everyone else is going the wrong way. Help us be faithful. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Are You Living Your Life With Intent?

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (New International Version)

26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Buckminster Fuller once said, "The minute you choose to do what you really want to do it's a different kind of life." And it's not about what you're getting PAID to do! If you want to live abundantly, decide what you really want and figure out a way to do it. Be clear and live with intent.

You may have heard of Fred Lebow. Fred complained to his doctor that he lacked energy. His doctor advised him to take up running in order to increase his stamina. He fell in love with it! He was 39 years old when he entered his first race -- and did horribly. He beat only one other contestant., a 72-year-old man. But he loved it!

Fred decided what he really wanted to do -- and he did it in his spare time. He joined the New York Road Runners Club and organized New York City's first marathon race. But what Fred truly wanted to do, even more than run, was to bring people together. And that is what he did. He believe that anybody should be able to run -- people of all ages, any background, professional or amateur, and of any country. Today, more than 28,000 people of all backgrounds and nationalities compete in the NYC Marathon.

Not everyone in New York was excited about people running through their neighborhoods. Fred was approached by a youth gang that warned him that nobody had better run through their turf. "That's great," Fred enthused. "I need someone to protect the runners in your area, and you look like just the fellows to do it." He gave them each a hat, shirt and jacket and that year, when the marathon went through their neighborhood, these young men proudly guarded the runners along their way.

Fred decided what was truly important to him and he found a way to do it. He lived with intent. That single decision made his life remarkably different.

In 1990, Fred Lebow found he had a brain tumor. In 1992 he ran his final race. He crossed the finish line holding the hand of his friend and Norwegian Olympic medalist, Grete Waitz. A bronze statue was created of Fred in his running clothes, checking his watch. It is now placed at the finish line of every race. Fred died in 1994. But as one sports writer said, "Fate handed him a short race. With his gall, with his love of life, Fred Lebow turned it into a marathon."

Fred would say that it's not about how long you live, but how you run the race of life. Do you run it with intent?

Dear Lord we pray today that we would run with intent. Help us do the very best we can with what You have given each of us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Are You Running Ahead of God?

Psalm 32:8 (New American Standard Bible)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;

I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

With wings on her feet and Christ in her heart, Francena McCorory is ready for the 2012 Olympics in London.

The 23-year-old graduate of Hampton University will compete in the 400-meter dash and the 4 x 400-meter relay.

The 400-meter is a grueling race, a near all-out sprint one lap around the track.

"It's a tough race, but if you have faith in God and faith in yourself and just faith in your training and what you've been working towards, it can be fun "It's all about your mindset."

McCorory is definitely focused. She currently holds the American indoor 400-meter record.

She puts in the work on the track and in the weight room. That training paid off in June, when she placed third at the U.S. Olympic trials to earn a spot on Team U.S.A.

"It was just great to see my dream unfold before my eyes," she recalled.

McCorory already has one gold medal on her resume. She anchored Team U.S.A. to victory in the 4 x 400-meter relay at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea.

"I can't even describe the feeling. Last year, at World Championships I got the opportunity, and it was so much emotion," McCorory said. "At first I thought, 'I'm just going to stand up here and get a medal,' but you just feel so proud to see them raise your flag the highest."

Still, there's something special about an Olympic gold medal. She said hearing the U.S. national anthem at the London Olympics would be a dream come true.

But ultimately, McCorory wants to win for Jesus Christ.

"I tell my friends and family all the time, 'Jesus is the one who gave me this ability,'" the young athlete explained.

"I can't get out here and run on the track by myself. It's all Him," she said. "He blessed me with this talent, and I just want to use it to glorify Him."

McCorory added that no matter how fast she runs, it's important to not get ahead of God. She said she makes sure He is leading the way on and off the track.

Dear Lord we thank You for the talents that You give each of us. We pray that we will give you the credit. Help us to not go in front of You but let You lead us all the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.