Snatch Your Blinders & Run Your OWN Race

Scripture

Galatians 5:7 (NLT) 7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT) 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

2 Timothy 4:7 (NLT) 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

Devotion

Distracted? Losing focus? Snatch your blinders then! It will make sense after a while!

The other day while conversing with a friend we talked about several things. We talked about life, work, betrayal, jealousy, and so much more. While I enjoyed talking to her, I realized that I needed to pray and ask God for guidance, because He knows how to make it all make sense to me.

I decided to go for a run to outrun my thoughts and pray. While on my run, God reminded me of a racehorse. A racehorse is usually focused when running not looking to the right or left. It is focused on its goal… to run its own race. That horse is not concerned about the horses on either side of him or the crowd. Its primary concern is running that race. However, the racehorse has an important device to help him stay focused: blinders. Blinders dismiss all the distractions!

As I continued to run, I realized why God brought the racehorse to my attention. In this season, God is doing so many amazing things. But we all know that when God starts blessing, we can always expect the enemy to start messing. The enemy starts distracting us with opposition, pessimistic people, and at times self-doubt. When these distractions come (and they will come), they cause us to take our eyes off of the road. We start slowing down, unfocused, and sometimes we stop completely. Our job is to snatch our blinders and run our own race. We cannot afford to be distracted, because God is moving swiftly in our lives and we must follow. When God moves, we move, just like that!

I encourage you to snatch your blinders and dismiss the distractions and the distractors. Stay prayerful. Prayer keeps you focused and causes you to synchronize with God’s movements. When you are running your own race, God is your ONLY guide. The course you are running is only God-known, so be careful who you confide in and vent to. They will not always understand and what they say can cause you to get sidetracked. You can’t afford that. So, snatch your blinders, put them on, and run your OWN race.

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for loving me enough! Your love corrects and sets me on the right track. You do not yell, but you guide me with your caring hand. I am so grateful that you walk with me every step of the way. Lord, as I run this race, help me to keep my blinders on when winds and storms begin to rage around me. Help me so that I may keep your promises in my heart. Guide me so that may run with the right tools. Anoint my ears to recognize your voice clearly as You coach me through life’s race. I thank you for walking through life with me daily. I love you Lord!

Amen