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By Rev Don Rivers
Not a race distance but a birthday, July 4, our Nation’s 250th birthday. Who knew, back when the 13 original colonies Unanimously agreed to declare their independence from an English King and make the effort to stand on their own, we would see our 250th birthday. It began with one sentence. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776; The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America; When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
The journey to the top has been lined with sacrifice, debate, defeats and victories. We have grown into one of the most powerful nations on this Earth. We hold the standard for Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom is our core belief, and we are willing to die to secure it. I am an American and I stand proudly when the flag is waved. But I also kneel humbly before the Lord and thank Him for blessing this nation, for standing by our side and guiding us with His character as our foundation.
Galatians 5:1; NIV; It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
One of the yokes of slavery is refusing to be obedient to God’s commandments. One, in particular, that has gotten pushed to the curb in society today is the Forth one. Remember the Sabath and keep it holy.
Exodus 20:8-11; NIV; “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
It seems Sunday is just another day of the week and we go about our business like usual. That always hasn’t been the case in this country. For many years Sunday was a day of rest, stores were closed, our places of employment were closed. Family had dinner together, picnics were taken. We have given all that up for the pursuit of something that isn’t as valuable as rest. I know many people who want to slow down and take things at a slower pace but the pressure of the world around them won’t allow them too.
Once, this country understood that. Once there were laws in place to keep us from running 24-7, 365. For our own good, things were closed so we would have to take a break. But we thought we knew better, abolished those laws and now we are living on the edge, frazzled and ready to implode. God did not design us that way.
Racing for fun or for a living is stressful. The nature of the deal is that our life is on the edge. When you are at the track everything seems to run at 100 miles an hour. It is racing after all. It is supposed to move fast.
The racing world does not corner the market on stress and frustration. The world we live in has been described as a rat race. Did you ever find yourself wondering why you do what you do? Many times in life the thought crosses our mind concerning our motivation. Why do we do this? Why am I here? When we get to that point it is good to step back and take a look at things. Take a step out of your routine and look for a place to rest and collect your thoughts. Jesus is that place.
Jesus came to save us. From what you ask, from us. We fill our lives with so much stuff that the stuff starts to win out. We develop a lifestyle that feeds off itself. We start finding ourselves needing to do this, this and this in order to maintain our lifestyle. It becomes overwhelming and we just keep on going trying to stay one-step ahead, for what? So we can live? I am not sure many people would classify what they do as living. They may say surviving, but not living. We all have a vision of what living is and we are not there yet.
Matthew 11:28-29, nlt, Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.
Is your soul restless? Is your life upside down? Jesus provides for each one of us the security of a destination. If we accept Him we will be with him for eternity. Destination settled, now about the journey.
When we take a step back from the challenges of our life and we realize that we do not have to win the race, our Savior has already won that race. We can adjust our focus and look around us and participate in the journey. Along that road we need to reach out and help one another. We need to guide and help people find the source of life. We need to, as Jesus said, be humble and gentle as we demonstrate how to live. David writes in Psalm twenty-three,
Psalm 23 1-3,nlt, The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength.
In Jesus we have everything we need. Rest in Him, walk with Him and let Him renew your strength. I encourage you to take this Holiday and declare your independence from the rat race that burdens you. Make an intentional effort to stop doing and rest. Enjoy the company of friends and family, shut off the electronics, tune out the noise and recharge your batteries. Jesus offers us that restoration. Let’s combine those two verses.
Jesus said; Come to me all who are weary and burdened, I have what you need. I will give you rest. I will lead you to green meadows, beside peaceful streams, restore your strength and renew your soul.
Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations help us continue this ministry. Thank You.
