Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. (Heb. 12:1–2)
I SAW ANOTHER PAINTED “Pikes Peak or Bust” on the side of a truck pulling a racecar. I knew the driver would race in the annual “International Hill Climb” up Pikes Peak. The two men who drove up to Pikes Peak in 1901 spent some of the nine hours pushing their two-cylinder vehicle. The first race was held in 1916, and the man who won it clocked a time of just under twenty-one minutes. Today, the “Race to the Clouds” can still be dangerous. The new record, set in 2011, is less than half the first: nine minutes and fifty-one seconds. People are committed to the race. As kids, we learned about the pioneers who wrote “Pikes Peak or Bust” on the side of the wagons. We remembered the danger of the race, but there is something about being a modern-day pioneer that is exciting and keeps us coming back for more.
Jesus is also described as a pioneer. He was the first to do something different, but people did not understand what the craze was about. The race for Him was dangerous—some people died for the race—but Jesus was the first to show us the way up the mountain.
Acknowledge Jesus as the pioneer of your faith. What was it like before He drove into your heart? What was it like afterward? Remembering your story increases your desire to stay in the race. Being first can be scary, but the outcome sure is fun.
Think of four words that describe before and after Jesus raced into your heart.
Mollie Bond works in radio as an assistant producer. Watching snowflakes slows her down. Otherwise she is at church or with her cat, Charlie.
