The Christian race can be likened to a relay race where the starters after running a preset distance hand-over the baton to the next set of runners. For every runner, there is a fixed distance he must not run beyond. Whether he is tired at the end of his allotted distance or not does not matter; he must hand over. Victory in relay races therefore depends largely on the availability of persons to whom the early runners must hand the baton. What a disappointment it would be for a man to run his allotted distance and find that there is no one to receive the baton at the end. For such a man, victory is farfetched.

For Christians, the handover point might come in form of death, old age or sickness. There has to be a person to carry on with the work.

Moses found in Joshua a successor when age could no longer let him lead. He said to Joshua “I am now 120 years old! I am no longer able to lead these people, you must take them into the Land the Lord promised their ancestors...” Deuteronomy 31:2,7 (paraphrased).  For Jesus He chose the disciples, and as He completed his allotted portion of the race he handed over with these words “go and make disciples of all the nations... Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” Matt. 28:19-20 NLT

This baton, the Good News of Jesus Christ has continued to move from one set of ‘runners’ to another and has gotten to where it is now because there has always been willing runners ready to take the baton. 

In this generation, time is fast telling on our elders who have been running this race before us. The time for handing over has become eminent as many have grown old, become tired, exhausted and may no longer have the strength with which to run. Do we have willing hands that are adequately prepared to take the baton from these elders?

This is a challenge to young people who have become too occupied with the pressures of this life and make little or no time to prepare and make themselves ready to receive the baton.  Let me ask; and if you were to answer honestly would you say you are adequately equipped to lead a revival in the land should the baton fall on you today? Where is your passion? How much of the Word of God do you know? How much time do you spend in prayer and study of the Word? Just as Joshua learned under Moses, the Disciples under Jesus, Timothy under Paul, etc. what have you learned from those who are ahead of you?

No! You don’t have time. Your boss at the office will not let you close early enough to meet up with the Bible study. You couldn’t attend that camp because he wouldn’t give you a day off. Your study at school puts so much pressure on you that you can’t make time to study the Word. By the time you get home from a busy job you are too tired to pray, etc. so how are you going to prepare yourself for that takeover of baton?

This is not to downplay the pressures of this earthly life on us. No attempt at that can make them appear less daunting. Yet it is expedient to remember what Jesus said to us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things (needs/desires) will be given to you as well” NIV (emphasis added). So, if you believe these Words of Christ then make your job, school, marriage and all other pressures that compete for your attention secondary. Let your pursuit be primarily God’s kingdom. 

As we glean all we can from men of old in the Bible, from Christians of times past and from followers of Christ of our day, let us ultimately fix our eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished without flaw this race we are in, not losing sight of where he was headed. May we run the race with vigour to win that which was promised us.