“Boggidy, Boogidy, Boogidy!”
It’s Racing Season Again!
For NASCAR fans like me, we call this “Daytona Week.” It is the official beginning of a new NASCAR season with “America’s Greatest Race” (aka. Daytona 500) as the climax of the week. This season includes a few rule changes, which NASCAR believes will enhance the sport for both competitors and fans. But that roar of the engines, the excitement of speed versus control, and the inevitable crashes of those whose speed doesn’t equal their control will hold the same fascination for us who enjoy the sport.
Yes, I have a “favorite driver,” and he isn’t the same as my grandson’s “favorite driver.” They don’t even drive the same brand of car! But we both love the sport, and our conversations reflect that shared interest! We respect the sport and grow angry with those drivers who fail to respect the rules. We remain astounded at the knowledge of crew chiefs and the incredible abilities of pit crew members. At the end of each race, we reflect on the winner and how the race was run. Should either of our drivers win, we still evaluate their performance, discuss how they could improve, and ensure additional wins. Yes, we love the sport!
We also realize there is much more to a NASCAR race than speeding around a track at over 120 mph, turning left. Those who “think” they can do better are sitting in the stands or at home watching the race. Those who know they are the best drivers are sitting behind the steering wheels of those forty-two cars. Even the fans know this is not a sport for the faint of heart. It requires extreme dedication from every aspect of the sport: from the mechanic in the garage, to the parts distributor in the parts room, to the sponsor, to the crew members, to the driver! Each part is important to the whole if success is the goal. It is emphatically a team sport!
Now, what does this have to do with our souls, you ask? Let me suggest Hebrews 12:1-2. Like NASCAR, most focus on one person as the “responsible one” for winning: the driver! Take a closer look. Usually, the driver has very little knowledge of the car’s “setup,” which changes with every track. He doesn’t participate in “pit crew” practices because none of that critical work is within his expertise. But likewise, the crew members are not drivers. That ability is not their expertise. Just so, no member of the church is alone in this spiritual race. Some help build his faith by teaching, others by praying, still others by correcting his mistakes! There is the Rule Giver, who, unlike NASCAR, hasn’t changed the rules since they came into effect with the death of His Son (Hebrews 10:1-10), and the beginning of His church (Acts 2).
But true: there is the personal responsibility of the soul! No, he may not know the “mechanics” of the “indwelling” of God the Father, Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8), but he trusts that his obedience to all three, and his careful control of his soul as he speeds through life, will keep him safe (Hebrews 13:5-6) and result in his winning the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).
To speak frankly, none of us can obtain eternity with God without the help of our brethren! We teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). We pray one for another (James 5:16). We come together to commune (1 Corinthians 11). It is impossible to have fellowship by yourself (1 John 1:5-10). Thus, no Christian runs this spiritual race alone!
Yet, our focus is on the driver of the soul! That’s YOU, friend. YOU are responsible for YOUR soul and its obedience to God! Paul said, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12) Regardless of how fine a job God did in designing your soul and the rules that govern it, no matter how much Christ paid for your soul, no matter how carefully the Spirit guided the apostles as they recorded the New Testament, it is up to YOU, the “driver of your soul,” to practice the course, perfect your abilities (i.e., “perfecting holiness” – 2 Corinthians 7:1), and to run with patience this race set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2). As we travel through the season of life, the tracks we travel will vary. Some will have more turns than others, because not all tracks of life are oval or the same length, or smooth. But through them all, we must place our trust in the Master Controller, our spiritual “crew chief” who knows more about us than we know of ourselves. And when we have run the race, finished the course, and kept the faith, then and only then are we the happy recipients of the crown of life! (2 Timothy 4: 1-8)
Oh, I enjoy NASCAR to be sure! But I cannot and will not escape the spiritual race that, when run according to the Lord’s rule, and looking unto Him who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, grants me the greatest prize of all – eternity with Him!
