Commitment and Focus

Everyone knows the story of the tortoise and the hare. The moral of that story is slow and steady wins the race. I've recently realize one thing: it's not the slowness that wins the race; it's the steadiness. See the hare had a major factor against him: he wasn't focused on winning the race. He wasn't committed to see the race through. He went off the race path, he decided that he's gone far enough. He kept looking back and look at his competitors; not the finish line.

This also reminds me of another cartoon. Remember those wacky races shown on TV? You have the gruesome twosome, the professor, Penelope Pitstop, the Ant Hill Mob and other racers. And of course, Dick Dastardly and Muttley. If you remember the cartoon, you'd know that Dick will always come out with some trap to sabotage the other cars. While it was enjoyable, it got me thinking: if Dick would just buckle down and race, he would have won most, if not all, the races. I mean, the guy kept getting in the lead! Quite clearly, his car is fast enough to overtake the other racers. So why does he keep losing? Because he was too focused on the people behind him, and not enough on the finish line in front of him.

These 2 examples are very good lessons for us in living life. Paul describes life as a race (Heb 12:1-3, 2 Tim 4:7). The world describes the working world as 'the rat race'. Quite clearly, we are all running races, figuratively or symbolically.

So if we are running a race, that means we are all runners. And runners are only focused on 1 thing: to reach the finish line. Their eyes are on the tape that marks that they are done. And until they reach that line, they do not stop, they do not break. They don't look to the left, nor to the right. They also can't afford to look behind. All they are focused on is: forward.

Just like the blinkers on a horse, it's there to focus the horse on the job of pulling the cart/carriage forward. He's not allowed to look left or right, lest he gets distracted. Then the cart will topple, the carriage will spill its passengers. But having the blinkers on means his view is restricted. He's not able to see much, only forward. Just like a runner can only look forward, he can't see the fans, the officials, nobody and nothing.

So in life, focus and commitment is necessary but it also involves a price. When we see the finish line, everything else becomes immaterial. We will have to let go of some stuff. We can't afford to get sidetracked. It means giving up some stuff, whatever that does not bring us closer to that line. ¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. - Hebrews 12:1 (emphasis added)

God has called us to focus on Him. He is looking for someone who will commit him/herself to the cause. You see, to do great things for God is very simple: just say yes when God asks. Volunteer, submit. God doesn't have any prerequisite for His tasks. Why would He need? After all, all that we do is by the power of the Holy Spirit and by His grace. That's why Christianity is very simple. It all boils down to 1 question: will you obey and follow God in all that He asks of you? Will you run the race, fight the good fight, keep the faith? Life is a race, we have to run, be focus on the finish line. Life is a fight, we need to commit to standing up for God and take the punches. But to do both these things, we need faith in God because only with Him can we actually succeed.

There are only 8 words I tell God and will continue to repeat to Him. But in those 8 words, it means I'm focused on Him, I'm committed.

Here I am, send me. I will go.