.
The new season has started. The questions have started to be answered. Who
will have success? Who will be successful? These are two similar questions
but with very different answers. Greetings in the name of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
A successful season is different for each team. Some will judge the
season a failure if they don’t end up with the championship. Some are
looking just to improve over last year’s performance. Some are looking for
seat time and finishing the race in one piece is judged a success. Whatever
our standard, having success is different for each one of us.
Being judged successful however is a different thing altogether. You know
there are two different ways of looking at things, our way and God’s way.
When we judge success in earthly terms we focus on accomplishments and
status. We look at awards and recognition. When we look at success from a
Biblical viewpoint we focus on those who have chosen to serve God and choose
to follow His will for their lives.
Will we be successful? That depends on the
standard we use. Many thought Jesus a failure as he hung on the cross. They
challenged Him to save Himself. They hurled insults at Him and questioned
His claim to be the Son of God. In the end Jesus accomplished what He came
to do, He gave His life so that we might have life. In a passage of
Scripture from the Gospel of Luke we can find some help in our quest to be
successful.
Luke5:1-11; One day as
Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,
with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw
at the water's edge two boats,
left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of
the boats, the one belonging to Simon,
and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught
the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water,
and let down the nets for a catch."
Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught
anything. But because you say so,
I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large
number of fish that their nets began to break.
So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and
they came and filled both boats so full
that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees
and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"
For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had
taken, and so were James and John,
the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be
afraid; from now on you will catch men."
So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Luke tells us of the calling of the first
disciples. We read about a fisherman, Simon Peter. He had just finished a
night of fishing and was cleaning up his nets. Along came this man, Jesus,
interrupted him and used his boat as a pulpit.
Think of it like the end of a race, you had a rough one, a DNF. You and
your crew are cleaning up and along comes this guy who wants to use your
hauler as a pulpit. After he is done speaking he starts to tell you how to
set up your car and how to win the next race. You look at him as if to say,
“What do you know about racing?” He says trust me and do what I tell you.
Reluctantly you agree. You set the car up and sure enough you run the
fastest you have ever run. Maybe there is something to this guy? Maybe we
should listen to him?
There are a few lessons we can learn about being successful; first we
have to let Jesus in. Whether it’s our boat, our hauler or our life, success
cannot happen without Jesus being a part of it.
The next step is learning to let Jesus have control. Once he is a part of
our life we have to let him have control. He will guide and direct us to
what is right and just. We have to realize that Jesus has more information
than we do. In all our wisdom and experience, Christ is still greater.
What happens next will amaze us. Jesus will show us things we couldn’t
even conceive in our wildest dreams. His plan will show us what life is all
about. He will guide us to places we would not go on our own.
The best time to fish was at night and in shallow water. Jesus instructed
Simon Peter to put out to deep water in the middle of the day. Peter, like
us, questioned if Jesus knew what he was talking about. Jesus did and proved
it with a large catch of fish.
After seeing this demonstration the passage says Peter left his nets and
boats and followed Jesus. That must have been one awesome catch of fish to
impress a fisherman so much that he determined his life would be better if
he followed Jesus instead of remaining a fisherman.
I find it amazing that Peter walked away from everything he had
accomplished, everything he had built, his entire business and followed
Jesus. What would it take for us to leave everything at the track and follow
Jesus?
That is something hard for us to understand, can you even imagine what it
would take for you to just leave everything and follow Jesus? That's exactly
what Peter did. Peter came to the conclusion that with Jesus failure was not
an option.
We can begin to see more steps on our road to being successful, these
involve evidence that the first steps are true. Christ will not fail us. He
will do greater things than we can do without him. He will amaze us.
All that remains is to accept a new direction in life, follow Jesus with
all you have. He has proved to be worthy of our trust and capable of making
our lives more than they would be without him.
If being successful is more important to us than having success we need
to follow Jesus. These Scriptures serve as reminders that we do not have
control over what happens in life. We need to follow someone's direction,
someone's example. Who we follow determines if we will be successful.
Philippians 4:13;
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Luke 1:37; For nothing is impossible with God.
When all is said and done by whose standard
will we be judged, the standard of the world or the Biblical standard? With
Jesus we cannot fail and nothing is too big to overcome. I encourage you to
let Jesus into your life, give him control, follow him with everything you
have. You cannot and will not fail.
THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD
SHORT DAY AT BRISTOL - I guess
sometimes things work out in your favor. I can remember many times waiting
out rain delays, spending hours upon hours waiting for the track to dry. I
remember one race that would never end, Lime Rock back in 2002.
It was the last race on the calendar, it took three weeks to run and in
the end most of the race was contended under yellow for wet track
conditions. I remember it for other reasons as well, it was my first time at
an event for RWJM on my own and God certainly was there with me.
Saturday we were blessed with the short day at Bristol, garage opened at
noon, race at 4:30, on the road home by 6:30. No weather to change the plan.
Sunday the race was not so fortunate, but after almost 10 hours they
finished the race, under the lights.
It was good to catch up with some K&N Alumni during the day. Cale Conley
stopped by to say hi and share how his Xfinity effort was going. Peyton
Sellers also took the time to share about a new opportunity he has to drive
for Victor Obaika and Obaika Racing. Victor was born in Nigeria and has
become the very first African to establish and own a NASCAR Team.
Also spent some time talking with Brennen Newberry. He shared that the
effects of his hit in Phoenix last fall are lingering and he has to be
patient and let things straighten themselves out. Not an easy task for a
young gun trying to make a name for himself in the world of NASCAR. His
smile was still wide and he knows that it is in God’s hands. He has filled
his time learning and conquering other tasks involved in running a race
team. He did share though it is much easier to come to the track and just
drive.
Oh and what would a trip to Bristol be without BBQ. We sniffed out a new
place in Edinburg, VA Bean’s Barbeque. This place tops the charts. Dan and I
both rate this the best we have ever had. Melt in your mouth pulled pork,
ribs that you could slide the bone out of and of course beans! It is a
little hard to find, in an old garage/fire station with the smoker out front
on the sidewalk and a homemade sign, look closely, you can just drive by.
Only open Thursday thru Saturday and when they run out they close, so get
there early!
SIZZLER TIME - We return to the track this week for the Greatest
Race in the History of Spring. We will be set up at Stafford Motor Speedway
with the Hospitality RV so be sure to take a stop by and say hello. Race
number two for the Whelen Modified Tour. Doug Coby and the #2 team have set
the standard, who will step up and challenge? Should be another great race
and great field, see you there.
Until next time, be a witness for our Lord with the ministry decals
and apparel. See them at the Show Your Faith Apparel Store at
http://www.rwjm.com/store. Send us your prayer and counseling needs no matter
what part of our racing family you are in, or give us a call. Remember that
God loves you, we love you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing. GOD BLESS.
 Mail reaches us at Racing with Jesus Ministries, PO Box 586,
Tolland, CT 06084.
Check our weekly printed pages in "Area Auto Racing
News",
the East Coast’s largest weekly racing paper.
See our on-line Apparel
Store for subscription information.
Check our home page
http://www.rwjm.com for past
articles.
We invite you to input your thoughts as you sign our Guest Book.
Please remember, we can only do what we do because of your prayerful
financial support.
Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord
make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face
toward you and give you peace."
May God always Bless you, everyday in everyway. Rev. Don
SHARE YOUR SPECIAL OCCASIONS WITH YOUR RACING FAMILY.
SEND THEM TO:
RACING WITH JESUS MINISTRIES
PO Box 586
Tolland, CT, 06084
TheChromeHorn RWJM Archives
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