Running Your Race, Loving One Another

How many of you have encountered some serious sibling rivalry? Maybe it was between you and your siblings. Perhaps it is/was with your kids. Maybe it is/was in a family around you.

The Family of God

We are all in the family of God. We ultimately have one Father and one Brother. We are all called brothers and sisters, and mothers and fathers. God created a race of champions called for great things. 

So, why is it that we have such a hard time getting along? We compete. We strive. We get jealous. We struggle with others’ successes and may even be secretly (or not so secretly) pleased at others’ failures. 

A lot of this mess stems from brokenness and a sense that if someone else gets a piece of the pie, there’s less or none for us. We have an identity crisis, a “where-do-I-fit-in” crisis, and a “someone- else’s-call-seems-so-much-greater” crisis!

Ultimately, all that accuses God of being unfair, withholding, and unloving. 

Yikes! Papa, help us!!!

Who We Really Are

Becoming secure with who we are requires knowing God rightly and intimately, and letting Him reveal—actually unveil—who we really are. 

Running our race requires us to understand we all are one, with many beloved parts – each one uniquely designed and equipped and, above all, BELOVED!

1 Corinthians 12 (NIV) says: 

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.​

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.​

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable. And yet, I will show you the most excellent way.

Spend some time letting this minister to you!

The Truth

The truth is that:

We are all one with Christ and one as a body.

We all need one another – we are interdependent.

We are all honored.

We are all provided for in one way or another.

We are interconnected and impact one another –
with sufferings and rejoicings.

There are definitely defined roles to play.

The greater gifts are to be desired.

AND the happiest truth of all:

We are all wrapped up in the Person of Love and in love.
We need to keep our eyes of Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith.

While we are keeping our eyes on Jesus, we are receiving His love. In Him and His love, we are able to keep the royal command of love with supernatural empowerment. 

So, keep running your race, loving one another and, above all, keep your eyes locked with the fathomless eyes of Love Himself!