I haven’t thought about three-legged races for ages. In fact, it’s been so long that I couldn’t even remember what they were called. I was talking to a friend about the different gifts we have in the Body of Christ, and how they fit together according to God’s plans and purposes. As we spoke, I suddenly saw this image in my head of two people running side by side, rather clumsily, with the left leg of one tied to the right leg of the other, adjacent arms draped over each other’s shoulders for support. If any picture is worth a thousand words, surely this one is.
There are a few interesting things about the three-legged race. For starters, calling it a “race” is probably a bit misleading. The objective is ostensibly to cross the finish line first, but doing so doesn’t require speed as much as it requires cooperation.
Another thing that becomes clear after a few failed attempts is that being paired with someone of roughly the same height makes your job a lot easier. A large discrepancy in this area pretty much guarantees that you’ll crash to the ground before the finish line. As a result, watching a mismatched pair can be pretty comical, as long as no one gets hurt.
The Bible often uses “the race” as a metaphor for life, and more specifically, for the Christian life. For example, in Hebrews 12 we are admonished to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us”. In 1 Corinthians 9:24 Paul tells us to “run in such a way as to get the prize”. To the Galatians, who had been led away from the simple message of salvation by grace through faith, he says, “you were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” Even the Old Testament mentions the subject. In Ecclesiastes 9:11 it says, “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong”. Doesn’t this contradict our culture’s notion of independence, competition, and hard work – the “you can be anything you want if you work hard enough” belief system we have in North America?
“So what’s wrong with that?” you may ask. Actually, there’s a lot right with it. The foundation of our country was poured by people who believed in hard work and sacrifice, and they believed that God would reward them in due time. It’s worth remembering that many of them came from countries where their “lot in life” was pretty much determined by their parents’ class background. No amount of hard work could lift someone in 19th century England from being a scullery maid at Buckingham Palace to being the Queen.
What comes to mind when you think of a race? Do you have visions of super-fast, uber-muscular athletes running at the Olympics? I guess that’s what I think of. I was one of those sporty girls growing up, and my family was (and is) pretty competitive. The expression, “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”, might exaggerate somewhat the degree to which winning mattered, but only marginally. Being first, winning, and being the best were all highly prized in my family.
So when God talks about our life being a race, what picture do you think He has in mind? When He tells us to “run in such a way as to get the prize”, is He telling us to trample over anyone who gets in our way, to do whatever it takes to cross that line in first place? Of course not, you say. You’re right, He can’t possibly have that in mind, because God’s ways and His priorities are upside-down compared to ours. He says things like “the first will be last and the last will be first” and “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave”.
The three-legged race can add much to our understanding of what God means when He tells us to “run in such a way as to get the prize”. Here are a few characteristics worth pondering. The three-legged race:
- cannot be run alone, unless you have three legs;
- is less about speed than it is about timing and coordination;
- is easier if you are “equally yoked”;
- can result in pain and/or embarrassment if you aren’t;
- requires cooperation and a unity of purpose – you must be heading in the same direction;
- takes humility – when pride rears its ugly head, you’re bound to end up on the ground;
- isn’t well suited to rugged individualists;
- has as its main objective not falling over. Crossing the finish line is secondary;
- is a learning process. Early attempts at moving forward together will likely be clumsy and uncoordinated. You will improve with practice if you don’t give up.
Once we become children of God, there’s a way in which we are joined together just as if we were running a three-legged race. Romans 12:4, 5 says, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Our purpose in life shifts radically once we become part of God’s family. It’s no longer about me, my goals and desires, or even my happiness. It’s about being part of a coordinated, unified effort to share God’s love and His message of salvation with the world.
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD”
(Zechariah 4:6)
