In every race, there is one who sets the pace. One around whom all others revolve—settling to run behind, attempting to keep up, or striving to overtake for the victory. Everyone must contend with the pace set by the champion. Jesus is the pacesetter for our lives. If you want to win, you have to train. No other way around it! In his latest book Over and Above, M.K. Gantt encourages us to pursue excellence in our Christian walk—to rise above the average and refuse to be satisfied with just getting by. When the apostle Paul challenged the Corinthian church, he painted a vivid picture of a man in a race and pointed out that the man who finishes first, the one who gains the laurels, is the man who runs to win. He eats to win. He conditions his body to win. He prepares to win. If he doesn't do these things, he doesn't win! The apostle Paul tells us this Christian life is a race—a race we should all run to win!
