Run Your Race -- Not Someone Else's

Did you know a horse’s field of vision is almost a complete circle? With their eyes set on the sides of their heads, their only blind spots are two small spaces—one in front of the nose and one behind the tail.

To narrow horses’ comprehensive focus, their trainers often place blinders on them. Also called blinkers or winkers, horse blinders are small leather squares that are attached to the horse’s bridle to prevent them from seeing anywhere except right in front of them and going off course.

The blinders keep the horses’ focus on his master. They tune his attention to just one voice, one set of commands. They allow the horse to run his race without concern for the other horses and chaos happening around him.

Horse blinders might be a handy tool for us humans, too.

KEEP IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT

Paul’s letter to the Galatians with these instructions: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Gal. 5:25-26).

These words come on the heels of Paul’s famous list of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). He has spent an entire letter up to this point exhorting the Galatians not to put their hopes in their own efforts, their own flesh, their own ability to follow the law. Rather, he calls them to remember the gospel, to remember that the Holy Spirit lives inside of them, and to live by the power of the Spirit alone.

So, as he gets ready to sign off, it’s no surprise that Paul says, “keep in step with the Spirit.” But the instructions not to become conceited, not to provoke one another, and not to envy one another seem a bit out of the blue.

What does conceit have to do with keeping in step with the Spirit, and why do provocation and envy get a mention here, too?

ON THE PERIPHERY

When Paul says, “let us not become conceited,” the Greek word for “conceit” means “vain-glorious, or empty of honor.” He’s saying, let’s not grow “a perceived absence of honor and glory, leading to a need to prove our worth to ourselves and others.”[1]

This conceit manifests itself in our tendency to compare ourselves to others and to measure our worth or performance against theirs. If we’re feeling pretty good about ourselves, we feel superior and proud. But if we’re feeling down about ourselves, we feel inferior and ashamed.

Have you ever heard yourself inwardly say, Well, at least I’m doing better than that guy, or, conversely, I’ll never be as good as that girl? In the former, we are provoking others. In arrogance, we look down on others with scorn and wonder why they can’t deliver as well as we can. In the latter, we envy others. With self-loathing, we want their success or abilities.

In both cases, we are conceited, seeking to prove our worth based on what we see in others. Our conceit is fueled by focusing on the periphery, so Paul calls us to put blinders on.

FOCUS ON YOUR RACE, NOT THEIRS

To keep in step with the Spirit is to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:1-2). It is to test our own work (Gal. 6:4) and complete the race God has given to us, without regard for the race he has marked out for our brothers and sisters.

What if we put spiritual blinders on? What if we focused solely on our Master’s voice and didn’t look around at how well or how poorly others were running? What if comparison played no part in our race?

Spouses might stop tallying the number of times they each do the dishes, put the toothpaste cap back on, or take out the trash. Coworkers might stop comparing hours logged or meetings missed or compliments paid by the boss. Friends might stop counting who paid the bill last time, who calls more often, who remembers birthdays better. Church members might stop feeling false pride over the number of weekly meetings they attend or false shame over not being able to go on a mission trip. Or they might stop comparing perceived spiritual fruit in others.

PEACE AND MERCY

Conceit and comparison cause provocation and envy, resulting in self-aggrandizing or self-loathing—ultimately leading to discouragement and death.

But when we wear spiritual blinders, we fix our eyes on Jesus and have ears only for the Holy Spirit. We run our race and test ourselves. We look out and up to him who gives life.

It is from this focused point of view that we remember our only boast is in the cross of Christ. He alone made us new creations (Gal. 6:14-15). All that we have—our new life, our breath, our skills and abilities, our opportunities—they all come from him and are for him.

“And,” Paul says, “as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them” (Gal. 6:16).

Author’s Note: This article first appeared at GCD in November 2019.