Just Stay In The Race

In 1959 there was a very successful movie made by the name of "Ben Hur." It starred Charleston Heston. It  won a record 11 academy awards and it cost in that day and time an unbelievable $15 million to make. For those that remember the movie, then you might remember that Cecil B. DeMille was the director. One day the two men set down and talked about the all important chariot race. The director thought that it would be best, instead of using a stunt double that Charleston Heston could do it himself.

They made 18 chariots for the film. 9 out of the 18 were used for practice. Learning to drive a chariot pulled by 4 powerful horses proved to be no small task. Heston spent quit a while practicing to learn how to drive the chariot. One day, Charleston Heston went to see the director and said, "I think I can drive the chariot alright, but I don't know that I can actually win the race!" Cecil DeMille told him, "You just stay in the race and I will see that you win the race."

Doesn't that sound just like God talking to you and I? God says, "Just do your best, obey me, be faithful to me and I will see that you win the race!" Paul wrote, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize. So run the race that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible." ( I Corinthians 9:24-25) Oh!, By the way. The movie made $75 million .

Larry Jackson-Minister
Rosebud Church of Christ