Run to Win: Living for What Matters Most
A few days ago, I found myself discouraged by our homeschool rhythms. I felt the familiar wave of emotions that many homeschool moms experience—the nagging worry that I’m failing my kids, the comparisons that whisper we’re “behind,” and the doubt that questions whether the entire school year was enough. My mind spiraled to all the things they still don’t know and the ways I may have unintentionally held them back.
But in that moment, I knew I had to take those thoughts captive and align my heart with my head knowledge.
I asked myself: What is my end goal for them?
The answer came clearly: That one day, Lord willing, they would stand before their Maker and hear, “Well done, My good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). That they might love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. That they might become disciples who make disciples. That I might echo the words of 3 John 1:4: “I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
This doesn’t mean I’m excused from my responsibility to teach them diligently—it just reorients my motivation. It releases me from homeschooling in a way that strives for Ivy League credentials or chases six-figure futures. Those aren’t bad things, but they aren’t the thing.
And that’s what led me to remind them of their true end. Because when you know where you’re headed, it changes how you run the race.
The world puts stock in so many things: finding “the one,” owning a big house, climbing the ladder in a fulfilling career, achieving the ideal body, curating the perfect home or wardrobe, chasing health or wealth or influence. These things might look different depending on who you are or where you are in life, but the hope is the same: having ______ will fulfill you. But as I reminded my kids during homeschool the other day—every single one of those things can be gone in an instant. A market crash, a diagnosis, a betrayal, a natural disaster, or just the quiet march of time... none of these things are guaranteed to last, nor do any of them bring true happiness.
Scripture reminds us of our true aim: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (1 Cor. 6:20; Psalm 16:11). That’s it. That’s the goal. That’s the prize. All those things the world chases? They can be used to glorify God. A home can be a place of hospitality. A job can be a mission field. A healthy body can be a vessel for kingdom work. But they are not the point and they are not the reward.
So what does this mean for us today? It means we have to be ruthlessly honest about what we’re chasing. What we daydream about. What we measure success by. What we fear losing. Because our hearts will always follow what we treasure. And if we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves giving our energy, our time, our affections—even our worship—to things that simply will not last.
But when Christ is the prize, it changes everything. It gives meaning to the mundane. It strengthens us in suffering. It anchors us in seasons of uncertainty. It reorders our desires and redefines what it means to live well knowing that the secret to contentment is simply Christ alone.
So let’s live with the end in mind. Let’s raise our children to see past the glitter of this world and fix their eyes on the only One worthy. Let’s steward our homes, our gifts, our work—not as ways to build our own kingdoms, but as offerings to the King. Too many Christians are not only distracted but have settled for less. Because when the world fades—and it will—it won’t matter how much we owned or how polished our life looked. What will matter is this:
Did we know Him?
Did we love Him?
Did we follow Him?
Christ is the prize. Let’s run to win.