THE CHRISTIAN RUNWAY
[6-minute read]
The word 'runway' brings to mind different images. When we talk about aviation runways, we think about how aircraft approach take-offs and landings to ensure passenger safety. In ministry terms, runway refers to how much time a ministry has to become sustainable before it needs a fresh injection of resources to keep going. Finally, we are all familiar with the fashion runways or catwalks where models perform highly choreographed walking to showcase designer apparel. Success in each of these runways is clearly distinct from each other.
In the same way, the Christian runway is for the display of a distinct set of values. Our runways are the streets we walk on, the offices we step into, the supermarkets aisles we use, the carparks we drive into, and all the public places we enter. We need to be conscious about how we show up on the Christian runway because the Bible sets a different standard for how we live and love.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:12-17).
These verses offer 3 simple instructions for us to walk the runway of Christian living without tripping on obstacles, or making a premature exit due to discouragements.
1.BE CLOTHED IN GOD’S LOVE
Versus 12 to 13 delineate many Christian virtues we are to cultivate. But if we try to express these virtues without clothing ourselves with the love of God, we risk distorting them with our own brand of Christian morality. Therefore, verse 14 warns us, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14).
There is a tension between living out God’s love and living out our own “agenda”. We can be kind towards each other out of our need to please people because our self-worth is tied to proving that we are lovable. We can be self-sacrificial out of a sense of powerlessness while perpetuating unhealthy boundaries with those in power. We can do good out of a sense of superiority and the need to perform. All this is to say that our motives are not always clear to see, nor necessarily good. Therefore, the Bible tells us, “If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:3).
2.BE RULED BY GOD’S PEACE
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15).In Greek, the word‘rule’ is borrowed from an athletic term meaning to act as an umpire or referee. When our heart is experiencing a flux of intense emotions, it is important to let the Peace of God guide us ‘back on track’, to prevent us from stumbling on the runway of life.
The heart is the seedbed of emotions that become activated and go ‘live’ when we face different situations. On any given day, in any given situation and for many different reasons, we can experience a myriad of emotions that can take on a life of its own!
Therefore, we are reminded that at all times, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phillipians 4:6-7).
People can feel anxious about the loss of normalcy or financial stability that they once had. Single women can experience the ambiguous loss of childlessness when their reproductive years are over. Estranged parents can grieve the loss of connection with their children. Some people carry real hurt from difficult experiences with leadership. Then, there is also unspoken grief when friendships end. When left unchecked, these emotions can intensify and destabilize our emotional equilibrium and distort our perception of God’s promises.
Therefore, Jesus emphasized, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).
3.DWELL IN GOD’S WORD
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
To ‘dwell’ is to let ourselves be soaked and drenched with the Word of God until it infiltrates and saturates our thinking, our prayer, our worship, and our conversations. To be sure, we are not called to isolate and self-meditate on the Word of God, but we are to share deeper study and understanding of the Word with each other. To ‘teach and admonish one another’ is likely one of the most overlooked and undervalued part of Christian friendships. Today, conflict avoidance is a relationship killer among Christians. We overplay grace and downplay the importance of truth in our relationships. Yet, Jesus never chose between grace and truth: He is both grace and truth.
The Word of God brings convictions, not suggestions. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” (Hebrews 4:12 NLT).
After Moses’s passing, the only way for Joshua to become successful in taking on a role change and be a stable leader to the Israelites was to dwell in the Word of God. Hence, God’s instructions to him was, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8).
The point of paying attention to how we walk the Christian runway is so that we will reflect Jesus every day, in every way possible, whatever life presents because we know that Jesus, our Saviour and Lord, was never impervious to mistreatment and injustice. He wasn’t unfamiliar with loneliness, desertion and pain. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet He did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15).
So let's be intentional on the runways we step onto, walking tall in God’s love, ruled by His peace and dwelling in His word.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:1).
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 18 July 2026.
