The Race: Discovering and Following God's Plan for Your Life

By Jackson Ekwugum

 Are You Ready to Run?

…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

--HEBREWS 12:2



In The Race: Discovering and Following God’s Plan for Your Life, author Jackson Ekwugum offers heavenly insight into the race of Christian life, what it takes to run, and how to overcome the inevitable setbacks to win the prize.

The biblical illustrations and real-life examples in this book will help you to:

- Discover and prepare for each of the three stages of the Christian race

- Know the seven tests every Christian must face

- Understand the sacredness of “secular” work

- Learn the importance of following God’s plan for your life

- Avoid the traps of the enemy

- Make your life count for eternity

Whether you are called to serve in the business world or on the mission field, in an operating room or a classroom, The Race will equip you to complete the incredible journey set before you, fulfill your God-given destiny, and win the ultimate prize!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creation House
• Release date: Feb 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781621363477

Book preview

THE

RACE

DISCOVERING AND FOLLOWING

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

JACKSON EKWUGUM

THE RACE by Jackson Ekwugum

Published by Creation House

A Charisma Media Company

600 Rinehart Road

Lake Mary, Florida 32746

www.charismamedia.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publisher. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NAS are from the New American Standard Bible—Updated Edition, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010, 2011, International Bible Society. Used by permission.

Design Director: Bill Johnson

Cover design by Terry Clifton

Copyright © 2012 by Jackson Ekwugum

All rights reserved.

Visit the author’s website: www.therace.com.ng

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: 2012955790

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62136-346-0

E-book International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62136-347-7

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication.

First edition

12 13 14 15 16 —987654321

Printed in the United States of America

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my Savior and

Lord, Jesus Christ, "who has enabled me,

because He counted me faithful, putting

me into the ministry" (1 Timothy 1:12).

Acknowledgments

MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION to Yinka, my dear wife, trusted friend, and co-laborer in the vineyard of the Lord, for allowing me the time and space to write this book. Thank you, Sweetheart, for your suggestions, encouragement, and helping out with the initial proofreading. You are a real gem, a true helpmeet in every sense of the word.

Special thanks to Onyeka, Morayo, and David, my three wonderful children from the Lord. Your belief in me as a father has been very reassuring.

I am grateful to my good friend and twin brother, James Lee Grady, who took time off his crazy schedule to write the Foreword to this book. Thanks, Lee, for always being there for me. You continue to inspire me every day.

My sincere gratitude to the entire team at Creation House who worked tirelessly to see this book come to fruition. I specially thank Brenda Davis of the acquisitions and marketing department for her faith in this book. It really encouraged me.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Lee Grady

Introduction

PART I: STARTING THE RACE

Chapter One    Getting Started

Chapter Two    The Kingdom Call

Chapter Three    Training for the Race

PART II: RUNNING THE RACE

Chapter Four    Discovering God’s Plan for Your Life

Chapter Five    Following God’s Plan for Your Life

Chapter Six    Hurdles to Cross

PART III: FINISHING THE RACE

Chapter Seven    Run, Man, Run

Chapter Eight    All’s Well That Ends Well

Notes

About the Author

Contact the Author

FOREWORD

By Lee Grady

EVEN THOUGH I am a few years older than my beloved friend Jackson Ekwugum, and his skin is slightly darker than mine, we have laughingly referred to each other as twins many times. That is because we both have had careers in Christian journalism, and we share a deep concern for the health of the Christian church in this crucial hour.

I spent eighteen years of my life as editor of the American magazine Charisma, while Jackson has edited LifeWay magazine since 2000. During my frequent visits to Jackson’s homeland of Nigeria, we have shared many meals (moin-moin and pounded yam with egusi soup and goat meat!); we’ve attended conferences together in Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Akure; and we’ve stayed up late many nights talking about the tragic lack of discipleship in the global church. Jackson is mainly concerned about Nigerian believers; I am mainly concerned about my own country. But our shared burden has forged a bond of friendship between us that transcends all ethnicity and culture.

When I first met Jackson in Lagos more than ten years ago, he was a gifted young writer and editor with a passion to change his nation through the printed page. I’ve watched him and his wife, Yinka, stretch their faith—sometimes painfully—to believe God for the funds to produce his magazine and to build relationships with Nigeria’s growing but sharply divided Christian community. I prayed for Jackson when funds were depleted and deadlines were missed. I grieved with him when scandals on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean damaged the credibility of the church in Nigeria and the United States. And now I am celebrating with him as he debuts as an author with this excellent book.

Jackson understands what many Christian leaders have missed—that you cannot become a true disciple of Jesus Christ just by sitting in a church once or twice a week, or by identifying yourself with a popular Christian movement. In both Nigeria and the United States we have churches full of people and crowds singing praise choruses. But this has not changed either nation. Sadly, our faith is a mile wide and an inch deep. We have painted a veneer of Christian faith on our culture, but it is pathetically thin. And more often than not, our commitment to Christ has been in word only, not in deed.

The Race clearly calls for a radical change in the way we are discipling believers today. Jackson makes it clear that it is not how we start the race, but how we finish it that matters. Regardless of where you are in this race, or even if you are presently sitting on a bench by the track, I urge you to read these words and discover fresh inspiration to keep running. God’s plan is for each of us to finish well. I pray you will keep your eyes on Jesus and reach the finish line.

INTRODUCTION

The Race

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope

—JEREMIAH 29:11

IREMEMBER EXACTLY THE moment my life took a new turn. It was less than a week to Christmas of 1990. I was visiting my hometown, Boji Boji Owa in Delta State, Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Two nights before I was scheduled to travel back to Kaduna, North Central Nigeria, where I resided, my host, a Baptist deacon, called me to his living room for prayer. I came in and was surprised to find that he had also invited the pastor of his church to be part of the prayer session. All they wanted to do, they explained, was pray for God’s protection and guidance upon me as I returned back home. I gratefully obliged, touched by their kind gesture.

I knelt down before the small group of five persons as they circled me, hands held together, ready to pray. But neither they nor I were prepared for what happened next. As soon as the pastor opened his mouth and began to pray, I broke down in tears. Something, which I later understood to be the conviction of the Holy Spirit, came down so heavily upon me that all I could do was weep. And weep. And weep. Uncontrollably. As I wept, it was as if I was seeing visions of my life and how I had resisted God all those years. Those images flashed through my mind, and I was so sorrowful at how rebellious I had been. I must have wept for ten minutes or so. All the while the prayer group just stood there nonplussed, unable to utter a word. When I was done weeping, the pastor simply took off from where he stopped, and asked God to protect and guide me safely home.

The moment I stood up from that place, I knew something strange had happened to me. It was not strange as in being spooky or weird; it was, in fact, a pleasant experience. Everything around me seemed to look and feel different, and everybody looked so beautiful to me. I could not explain it; but for the first time in my life, I was full of love for everybody. It was something so pure and holy. There was this unique peace that encompassed me, and I had never been so full of joy. I walked with a spring in my steps, beaming with smiles as I did so. Those around me could not but wonder at my sudden transformation. The next morning I drove to a bookshop and bought myself a Bible and began to read it. Thus began my journey in the Christian race.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

—HEBREWS 12:2, EMPHASIS ADDED

The Bible likens the Christian life to running a race. The Christian walk is a race much like life itself is a race. And like life itself, it is not a sprint. It is a marathon. It begins from the moment we give our lives to Christ till we finish our time here on earth. It is a marathon race that requires training, discipline, focus, planning, patience, endurance, hard work, and strength of character.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

—1 CORINTHIANS 9:24, EMPHASIS ADDED

Paul uses the image of an athlete to illustrate the fact that the Christian life is not only a race; there is a prize to be won for completing the race. And for us to get the reward, we must follow the rules because nobody is crowned in a race unless he competes according to the rules (2 Tim. 2:5). An athlete risks disqualification if he has a false start, runs on another person’s lane, or is found to have taken performance-enhancing drugs. The same applies to the Christian race. We risk disqualification or failure if we don’t discover God’s specific plan for our lives, commit ourselves to holy living, or allow ourselves to be tripped up by the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things (Mark 4:19).

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses . . .

—HEBREWS 12:1, EMPHASIS ADDED

The Christian life is a race because, like in any race, there are spectators watching us. One of the most memorable highlights of the London 2012 Olympics was the story of Mo Farah who won a remarkable double gold medal in the 5,000 and 10,000 marathons for the host country. A spectacular feat, Farah fed on the energy of the enthusiastic home crowd that was roaring him on. Just like in the field of athletics, we have spectators in the Christian race; it’s just that they are not visible to the naked eyes. According to our text in Hebrews, they are watching us from the spectators’ stand in heaven and rooting for us to get to the finish line. Even though we may not see them with our physical eyes, members of our supporters club in heaven are shouting and urging us to complete the race because of the prize waiting for us on the other side.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.

—2 TIMOTHY 4:7, EMPHASIS ADDED

Like all races, the Christian race has an end. The ultimate goal of the Christian race is heaven, where we will be reunited with Christ in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. We don’t retire from the race. The day we finish is the day we breathe our last here on earth and transit to heaven where death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Rev. 21:4, ESV).

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

—2 CORINTHIANS 5:10, EMPHASIS ADDED

Finally, the Christian life is a race because there is a judge who will separate the losers from the winners. In the world of athletics, the judges/ umpires separate the front runners from the group at the finish line and usher them to the podium to be decorated with their medals. The prize is not for everybody. In the Christian race, there is only one judge— Jesus Christ. He first came as our Savior. The next time He shows up it will be as the Judge of our lives. However, the judgment seat of Christ is not to determine whether we are saved or not. That has been settled at the moment of salvation. It is to determine reward or loss.

There are rewards for finishing the Christian race. After Jesus completed His assignment, He sat down at the right hand of the Father from where He will judge us in the end. However, He will not be handing out medals; He will be giving out crowns to those who finished and excelled. In ancient Greek games where the Olympics originated from, these crowns were in the form of a garland of leaves placed on a runner who emerged victorious.

In the New Testament, the word is used figuratively to describe the rewards that await those who successfully make it to the finish line— heaven. The Bible talks about five different types of crowns.

1. Crown of life—for the overcomers, those who endure under trial (Rev. 2:10; 3:11; James 1:12)

2. Crown of glory—for faithful pastors (1 Pet. 5:1–4)

3. Incorruptible crown—for exercising self-control and consecrating the body (1 Cor. 9:24–27, KJV)

4. Crown of righteousness—for those who fight the good fight of faith, finish their course and keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:8)

5. Crown of rejoicing—for soul winners (1 Thess. 2:19)

I imagine that in heaven these crowns will be like some sort of military insignia that will decorate the winners, and as you look at them you will be able to tell what the people accomplished on earth.

Important Differences

Much as the Christian race is comparable to athletics, there are differences.

1. In the Christian race, we don’t compete with one another; instead, we complement one another.

2. In the Christian race we don’t all start out at the same time. You start at the time it is set for you.

3. The essence of the Christian race is to serve faithfully, not necessarily to finish ahead of others. It is about finishing well and finishing strong.

PART I

STARTING THE RACE

Chapter One

GETTING STARTED

EVERY RACE has a starting point. The Christian race begins the moment we become born again. Being born again is not a fad or cliché; it speaks of a personal encounter with the person of Jesus Christ that brings about conviction of sin leading to repentance and total change in lifestyle. Any genuinely born-again person can refer to a time and place that marked the turning point in his/her