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Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today, I will be sharing with you on what I title, “Running The Race Set Before You”. Let me begin by saying that, life is all about running a race. But it becomes a rat-race when you don’t know the destination you are running to. It does not matter how well you are running, if you are running against the race set before you by God, you have already missed it in the journey of life. Why? You will be headed to a wrong place not chatted for your destiny. Really, if you are running on a wrong course not allotted to you by God, then you miss out on His provisions made available in fulfilling the actual race set for you. Now, what really is race? A race simply means, a course that is set before you. In the context of sport, it can be defined as, a competition between runners, horses, vehicles, boats, etc., to see which is the fastest in covering a set course. Here, people compete to out do each other in order to obtain a prize. But in fulfilling God’s race for your life, it has nothing to do with competing with anybody. Yes! You will only be in competition with yourself to fulfil what heaven has set before you. This is the race we are talking about.

While admonishing his spiritual son, Timothy, Apostle Paul said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). The question is: What race are you running? Are you on the right part? Do you know the destination you are headed? Are you truly running to obtain a crown that is set before you? You see, how we begin the race determine how we end. How did Paul run that he may obtain his crown? The book of Philippians 3:13-14 gives us a clue. There Apostle Paul said, “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.” Meaning, Paul set his eyes on heaven’s agenda for his life, without being distracted or loosing focus on it.

An old time friend of mine visited recently, and we got talking. Somehow our discussion led to the things of God. Then he jokingly said, “Elvis, if I decide to open a church today, my message will centre on prosperity and how to raise money”. We laughed. Then I told him, you are a business man, but the church isn’t a place for business. Later, while reminiscing over the discussion we had together, the Lord asked me: Isn’t what your friend said about floating a church happening today? Many have gone into ministry as a lucrative business venture. It has become a route to overcome hardship by those who are not called. Today we hear of ministries where human beings are used for rituals. They bury human beings in strategic locations within the church premises during the church foundation. The question is: Why? The answer is simple! Knowing well that God is not with them, these pente-rascals seek for a diabolical means to support the work of their ministry. You know what? If God has not called you on a journey, and you embark on it, then you will have to support and sponsor yourself. Unfortunately, many are in such terrible position today.

One major hindrance keeping us from running the race set before us by God is Distraction. Due to lack of Focus, many have missed it. We look at what others are doing, then suddenly we join the rat race to become like them, not inquiring to know if that is what God wants from us. For instance, someone will open a particular business, the following day his neighbour will start the same line of business. Unfortunately, many have become copy cats, no longer originals. All due to lack of intimacy with God. When you are intimate with the holy spirit by meditating on the word, praying in the Spirit, giving thanks to the Lord, and asking the Lord to speak to you, then like Apostle Paul, you will not only run to finish the race, you will also run to obtain the crown that’s set before you in Jesus Name. Right now, be determined to stay focused this year, and run purposefully the race that is set before you. Have a blissful week. With love, Elvis!