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By Rev Don Rivers
Have you ever heard a song and can’t get it out of your head? Most times it is a nuisance but this time it is a blessing. The song I had running through my head and couldn’t get out of my mind was “What Faith Can Do” by Kutlass. The lyrics remind me that there is always hope if we remain faithful. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Remaining faithful isn’t something we are born with, it is something that we build. Our faith builds as we grow. When we are successful putting our faith in little things it grows until we have a faith that can move mountains. Our faith progresses from small to great.
Most things in life follow a similar progression. In racing we start at the entry level, gain experience and move up to more powerful racecars. When we master handling the racecar we progress up to faster racetracks. It would be dangerous for someone who has never driven a racecar to climb into a tour-modified and think they can compete with the top drivers.
Life has progression, we learn to stand, and then we walk and finally learn to run. We watch the progression take place, each in its own time. We need to learn one before we can pursue the other. Think of an Olympic athlete, they don’t get to be World Class overnight. So many hours of dedication, practice and training culminate to show us where the progression of a lifetime of dedication can lead. You don’t become world class without starting somewhere.
One of my favorite Olympic stories comes from the unlikely pursuit of Bobsledding by the Jamaicans. Talk about having some hills to climb. The film Cool Runnings puts a funny spin on the true story of their pursuit. They put their faith in their ability to overcome some significant obstacles. Learning as they went, it took some time for them to be taken seriously, but to this day they are still in pursuit of Bobsled Gold. The image imprinted on the minds of many true sportsmen is one of the four-man Jamaican team carrying their sled across the finish line after a 85 mph crash in the 1988 Calgary Olympics. Faith requires perseverance.
The same progression finds a place in our journey with Christ. In our walk with Christ there are things that happen in a certain order. First, we are introduced to Christ and consider the gift of salvation he offers. We then, by faith, accept that gift and the journey begins. We follow Christ in Baptism and then, as we build our relationship with Christ, we mature, our faith grows and we become better equipped to persevere through the challenges of life.
Ephesians 2:8; For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
God is a God of order. In His word he helps us understand the progression of things. First is the notion of hope. Hope is a positive word. It looks toward the future, better things to come. Greater days ahead. Hope helps us move through the difficult times. Hope helps us maintain a positive, progressive outlook on life.
Hope doesn’t stand on its own though. Hope without something to hope in is false hope. You have heard the saying, “If we keep doing the same things expecting different results we will go nuts!” If we place our hope in something or someone who is not able to provide, we have set ourselves up for failure.
There are many stories in racing that support this fact. Many a driver, team or owner have hoped for things only to be disappointed. Our hope has to be placed in someone or something that has the power to change things. We make decisions and go in directions we think will provide what we hope for.
That draws us to the next progression, faith. If we are to have true hope, we must place our faith in someone who has the power and resources to fulfill our hope. Racers are realists, they understand that an old, tired motor won’t produce a winning effort. You’ve heard it said many times; “we had a (insert number here) place car today, we got all we could out of it.” Then there are times our faith in other drives proves void and we end up not finishing the race because of their actions.
Psalm 20:7-8; Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.
There is only one source that I know of that has both the power to follow through and the ability to control the circumstances around us, Jesus Christ. If I must choose who to put my faith in, He is the only one that actually has the authority to change things.
Matthew 28:18-20; Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Think of how we approach things, when we have exhausted every avenue to pursue the outcome we want, who is left to turn to? We turn to our Lord. When we are at the end of our rope we turn to God for help. We pray for the situation to work out and that God would have mercy on us and hear our prayer. We turn to the one who has authority and power.
Let me point out that we have the progression backwards; we should reach out to our Lord first. If we do this then much of the pain, suffering and frustration will be overcome. For our hope to be true hope we must place our faith in Jesus Christ, he has the power and authority to change things.
When we accomplish that we receive the gift of peace, a peace that passes all understanding. When our hope and faith is placed in the right person, we can be at peace knowing that God is at work through the circumstances in our lives to bring about the situation that is most beneficial to us.
Jeramiah 29:11-13; For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Romans 8:28; And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
As I stood and listened to a man share his testimony at a racetrack one night I could visualize the hand of God guiding him through the challenges he faced. God delivered him and is the source of his hope. First comes hope, we hope things turn out in our favor. But hope is false without faith in the right source, our Lord and Savior. When we place our hope and faith in Jesus we receive a peace that passes understanding knowing that God is working through our lives to provide us with the most abundant life possible. Amen!
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.
