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. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
When I was teenager, I just couldn’t stand being home. There were some issues, but nothing at all compared to what some teens have endured in their home life. I was involved in athletics, but when I wasn’t in a sport I was running with friends, running to the lake or just running… My dad would always ask me why I always had to run. Well, I started running just to get out of the house. I would run for miles and loved being free. It was the only time I could be myself, deal with my own thoughts and not have to worry about being controlled or ruled.
As a result I actually became pretty good at running. Somewhere in my entire running to emotionally escape, I got fast and could run pretty far. This by-product of my refuge became an asset. I was able to use it to my advantage in athletics. I guess it’s not a surprise that I ran track in college and eventually became a coach. As much as I love coaching football, there was nothing like coaching track. Being a track coach allowed me to lead young men on a more individual level. Help them dig deep inside to discover, just when they thought they didn’t have anything left to give, they had just a little more to give.
One of my greatest coaching points in track, of course I’m sure I learned it from another coach along the way, was “RUN YOUR RACE”. Too many times runners spend so much time sizing up the other runners. 
In some cases they would even try to run according to the competition and realize they couldn’t compete at someone else’s skill, strength or experience, but they could only run according to their own. Even now in my 40’s when running 5K’s & 10K’s, I don’t worry about how others look, what shoes they wear or where they might finish. I get out there and run my race. I let my finishing the race, first and foremost, then my overall time and pace at the finish line tell the story of my success.
In life, this is also true. We compare our life race to everyone around us. We try to measure up our lives, marriage and family, career, house and cars, vacations, yards, or whatever to what someone else is doing. To our surprise when we make every effort and attempt to do what they do and get what they have we fail miserably. Their life is not our life; their marriage is not our marriage; their family is not ours; and their career is not ours. And so on…
It is impossible to run someone else’s race. We can only run the race that is set out in front of us. Trying to run it other than how we have been equipped emotionally, spiritually and physical to run it will destroy us and cause us to pull up, get injured and ultimately fail to finish the race all together.
Everyone loves to win, but before we can win WE MUST FINISH. The more we focus on finishing, the more opportunity we have at winning. When we focus on winning someone else’s race, they may win, but we will always fail to finish. It’s their race, not ours. Therefore, it’s time we spent less time, energy and resources jockeying to run someone else’s race to get their rewards. Instead when we invest all our energy into our own race, our finishing success improves and even more important our winning opportunities happen more often than our failing to finishes.
In all things: life, faith, family and career endeavor to find fulfillment in RUNNING YOUR RACE!
James Miller Jr
“Missionary to a Generation”
*Published in the July 3rd, 2014 issue of the Port Aransas South Jetty newspaper.
via “Run Your Race” – Grace Church of Port Aransas.
