Staying on the Trail
During a recent trip, we came across The Rut. This is a three-day running festival, where the participants run trails of various lengths on the majestic Lone Peak. This is not a simple run along city streets, but traversing a mountain along rugged trails, that occurs regardless of the weather. |
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There are several courses of various distances, starting at 6.8 miles with a vertical gain of 1700 feet and going up to the Trifecta, which is 52.5 miles and a vertical gain of 21,500 feet. Regardless of which course the runner attempts, each has the same basic goal: to finish the course and cross the finish line.
The Christian Race
Paul would have likely appreciated this race because he frequently used running a race as a metaphor for the Christian life.
But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 3:13-14
Just like those that line up at the starting line of The Rut with the goal of crossing the finishing line, when we put our faith in Jesus, we are starting our life as a Christian. The question that we need to ask is: what is our goal? What are we running towards?
Paul states that the goal he is running for, living for, is to obtain the upward call of God. His desire is to become who God created him to be. It is the same goal that Paul would state every Christian should be living and working towards.
Losing the Trail
As the runners traverse the mountain, the organizers placed flags to indicate the trails for the runners. As long as the runners followed the flags, they will stay on the path leading towards their goal of finishing the race. The problem occurs when the runner looses the trail.
Over this past month, I have had several opportunities to discuss Redeeming Identity with people on various podcasts and shows. There were some that readily understood the goal of the Christian life, to become what we were meant, image-bearers of God. Alternatively, there were some intrigued by the framework of identity, but did not base its origin in God. They may have started with a belief in God, but they had since lost the path leading to Him.
This is warning that Paul gives, about people that once seemed to follow God, but had abandoned the ultimate goal.
For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
Philippians 3:18-19
These are people that seemed to have started the race, but were always on their own path, believing in their own version of God. They did not start fully committed to becoming who God created them to be.
This is a warning from Paul, to make sure that we are running with the right goal, progressing towards the upward calling of God.
The Goal of the Project
With the release of Redeeming Identity, we are reminded of the race that we are running. The focus of our race, our goal, is God, to reflect His identity and become His image-bearer. We will only find the full expression of life when we discover who we are through learning about God.
This is the purpose of the HE so I Project, to help people discover who God created them to be, by learning about the identity of God. Throughout this month, we will be reminding ourselves about the goal of our journey, "the upward calling of Christ".
Continue to join us on this amazing journey of discovering who HE is so you can say I am who God called me to be.
