It's school sports day season. Mums, dads, aunties, uncles and grandparents are gathering on sports fields, cheering on their little ones. We're proud when they win and our hearts break when we see them struggle with losing.
I am my children's biggest cheer leader. I will cheer them on when they do well and I will keep cheering them on when they struggle.
The Christian life can feel a bit like a sports day race. There's always a winner. There's always someone who falls. There's always someone quicker. There are those who are just happy to be taking part and there's always someone who just doesn't want to join in, watching from the sidelines.
Every runner in the race is equal. Every runner in the race is loved. Every runner in the race is saved by grace alone. There is only one winner in this race and his name is Jesus. Yet the danger is we all run looking sideways. We can see other runners as competition rather than as comrades to cheer on. Reformed, evangelical, charismatic, conservative – we create names that describe which team we are on. We have our own team chants, sometimes belittling those in other teams. We grow to become suspicious of them instead of celebrating together the one who won the race for all of us.
I've been part of many different kinds of church over the years and met many Christians whose love for Jesus, humility and love for others has inspired and encouraged me. When I've been supported and cheered on by folk in other churches I have been blessed. Though I have my own set of words that might describe my faith, Jesus and his Kingdom are so much bigger than just those words. Jesus didn't come to earth to build teams, he came to build his church.
One body. One Spirit. One Lord. One faith. One baptism. One God. One Father of all, who is over all, through all and in all.
My prayer is that as we keep running this race we will keep looking around, not to compare, but to encourage those who are struggling, carry those who are weak, cheer on those who are doing well. That we would shout words of life to each other to keep on going, and with great gentleness and kindness lovingly warn those who are going astray. And always, always point each other to Jesus.
Lizzie Bassford is a wife, mum and missionary living in inner-city Manchester. Follow her on Twitter @captivated01.
