Who Stepped In On You?

“You were running a good race. 

Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?”

—Gal. 5:7

In the 1984 Olympics, American champion Mary Decker competed with the darling of South Africa, a runner by the name of Zola Budd in a 3000 meter race.  As the runners were nearing the finish line, Zola Budd attempted to pass the other runners on the outside and stepped in on Mary Decker, causing her to stumble.  Mary Decker attempted to regain her balance, but another contact sent her sprawling to the ground.

This is the image I always picture when I read Paul’s comments to the Galatian church.  The question Paul was asking was addressed to a church that was being misled into following laws from which Christ had set them free.  Paul wanted them to remember that they had been saved by grace in spite of what others were trying to get them to believe.  As a result of their listening to these others, they were actually falling away from grace and missing out on the blessings available to them in Christ Jesus.

Many of us are like that.  We believe we have to submit to a particular lifestyle, practice certain habits, or give up certain things, in order to please God.  This may result in our resenting the intrusiveness of the Lord in our lives, feeling as though He intends to micromanage us and deny us any form of pleasure. 

In Psalm 118:5, the writer states, “In my anguish, I cried to the Lord, and He answered me by setting me free.”  Zorn, in interpreting this passage, believes the writer is saying that God takes him from a place of distress, a “narrow place” to a “broad, wide-open place,” a place where he is freer to move around.  In other words, rather than keeping us from enjoying ourselves as we often think, the Lord wants to give us even more options and better ones.  As David writes, God wants to give you the “desires of your heart (Ps. 37:4).”

As we run our race, we need to be on watch for those who would mislead us into believing something other than the truth.  Paul wrote, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (v. 25).”  In order to experience God’s blessings on our family, our work, our personal lives, we need to continually be developing our ability to discern what the Lord would have us to do.  We can only know the truth through reading the Scripture, and continually being in prayer about these things.  But, as we discover the truth and are able to discern what the Lord has in mind, we will begin to experience the joy that comes from the abundant life that He wants for each one of us.

I haven’t run a marathon, but I have run a few 5K races.  I found I couldn’t focus too far ahead or I would become discouraged over how much further I still had to run.  That is often the case in my spiritual race as well.  I offer this advice, if you find yourself concerned about the future, wondering what it holds, or how things are going to turn out, literally look down.  If there is a step in front of you, take it.  If another appears, take that one as well.  That is typically all God is going to show you, so there really is no sense in looking beyond that.

Ask God to help you to take that step and to trust Him for the next one, and the next one, and so on.  Spend time contemplating this verse as you study the picture on the previous page:

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”—Prov. 16:9

Ask the Father to direct your steps and to teach you to trust Him for each step.