All I know is, if you want to win a race, here’s the bottom line … Always see the head of whoever is in the lead and never let the gap between his head and yours widen. This will always give you a chance to win. 

This is the consensus advice of world-class competitors. Hunt the win by following the head, the head of the leader.

There is only one head in a race that matters. The person in the lead. If any other “head” is given too much attention, someone else will cut in and steal your spot, your confidence, your perspective, your joy, your hope. 

The race of life has too many gifted competitors who want in and will push you out.

During the days in which the book of Galatians was written, the apostle Paul started noticing good people fading back from the lead, letting others cut in on their faith and confidence in living. 

They lost sight of truth and let other ways of defining life cut in on them. They followed other values and principles instead. 

Truth became relative, to just what was in front of them and around them. They no longer valued truth above all. They lost sight of the Leader. It was zapping them and draining their culture (sound familiar?).

Paul knew that the race would go on, but they would never have a chance to win as long as the gap between their heads and that of the Leader was too wide. That’s why he called them out in Galatians 5:7.

Truth is to be followed at all costs. No other competitor matters in life like truth. It is to be prized above all. And may I remind you that the Bible says that truth is a Person. It is found best in Christ. He sets the definitions on what is true, right, good, acceptable, best. He is the Head to hunt.

So don’t let anyone or anything cut in on you and your pursuit of truth. Give yourself a chance to win in life. Follow the Leader. Follow Truth. Keep the gap tight between you, and only hunt His Headship. Consistent wins in life await as we do.

One more thing … Here are a few tips to help us hunt the Head and focus on Truth:

• “Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible“ (coach John Wooden). Be in God’s Word some everyday. This automatically maintains proximity to the Head (Psalm 1:1; John 17:17).
• “Pray for guidance everyday” (again, Coach Wooden). The Spirit promises to guide into all truth as we do (John 16:13).
• Know the truth so well that we can detect error – just like with counterfeit bills (Matthew 22:29).
• Don’t let other ideas besides the truth of God’s Word run alongside for long. They will try. Eventually they will cut in and set us back. 
• Test all things against the Truth of what God says. That means we really need to understand both the times and God’s Word well (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).
• Believe the truth, not just know it. Follow hard after it. Chase it down with all we’ve got.
• Surround ourselves with wise, godly counsel/coaching more than the latest ideas about anything (sex, power, ethics, politics, justice, culture, identity, worth). It’s fine to live contemporary to culture but we must live orthodox to faith. The enemy of our souls awaits moments when truth is doubted, compromised, made relative. That’s when he cuts in and our defeat looms (Colossians 2:8).

Reflect: How well are you hunting the Head? Is anything at least subtly cutting in on you? What is it? What race adjustment(s) must be made today so that truth wins and you do too?

A prayer to consider: Father in Heaven, guide me into all truth by Your Spirit and Your Word. Help me to see the incomparable worth of Your Son as the Way, Truth and Life. This is the Head I hunt.

I don’t want to be duped on any given day or have anything cut in on the blessed, pure truth I’ve found in You. Protect and encourage my heart and mind, I pray. The stakes of my life’s race are way too high. Thank You by faith. In the undefeated name of Jesus I pray, Amen.