It seems as if when you drive down the highway, especially in larger cities, on the morning commute to work, that people are always in such a rush. Where are they all going one might wonder. I would imagine at that time of day, most of them are also going to work, yet they are in such a hurry to get to where they really do not want to be, so that they can try to sustain a life that they often despise or are tired of. The expression “Keeping up with the Joneses” has been around since at least 1913 where it appeared in a cartoon that was created by Arthur R. “Pop” Momand and means, to try and have or do what others who are popular are doing or have. In the cartoon, the McGinis family were trying to climb the social ladder to keep up with their neighbors, the Joneses. Their social standing was measured in comparison to the neighbor’s lifestyle and material possessions. This comic strip ran for twenty-four years and was based on the cartoonists own experience while living in Nassau County, New York.
The modern-day spin on this could be compared to the reality show, “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” Produced by Ryan Seacrest, and the first episode ran on October 14, 2007, with the last episode being last year, in 2021, the premise being, for the viewers to have a glimpse into the lives of those featured on the show, mainly the Kardashian family. They have benefited greatly from their own show by monetizing their celebrity status through television and social media. Kim has launched a makeup line called ‘KKW Beauty’ and a clothing line of shaper wear, called ‘Skims.’ Kourtney has branded her lifestyle, Khloe produced the ‘Revenge Body Diet,’ Kendall has her own ‘818 Tequila’, and Kylie build an empire after getting multiple lip fillers. Looking at this, one could say they have benefited from this greatly, spawning many additional shows and despite much criticism, it was an enormous success from a monetary standpoint. Though I have never seen the show, I have heard their names repeatedly in mainstream media, social media and in live conversation, because many now look to the Kardashian family as the social standard to desire to immolate and the social status that everyone wants to attain to. Case in point, a Newsbreak just popped up on my cellphone today, which stated,” Kendall’s pistachio nails prove that green will reign supreme this Fall.” How many are going to rush out to get their nails painted green or buy green nail polish from the store today because of this public statement?
Although it is not bad to push ourselves to be better, in fact it is a good thing to have personal goals, it is not wise to try to be something you are not, or someone else. Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 10:12, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they are measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” And in 1 Corinthians 2:13 he stated, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” If we try to compare apples with oranges, we will become disillusioned, because they will never be the same, in appearance, composition or taste. We must look to Jesus as our standard and not try to fit into anyone else’s mold.
Trying to keep up with the Joneses or the Kardashians for that matter, brings me to the title of this article, ‘The Rat Race.’ This is an expression that has been used regarding mankind living a life always trying to get ahead, yet always insatiable, constantly trying to keep up with everyone else or get ahead. It becomes a pointless pursuit; you never arrive because there is no destination. The finish line is continually being moved. It becomes self-defeating. This expression came about from studies that show rats will constantly try to get the reward of cheese at the end of the endless maze. It is a continual struggle to get ahead socially, financially, materially, educationally, and so much more. However, the wise man Solomon stated in Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all. For man also knows not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.” Things will happen to you in your life that are out of your control, no matter how perfectly laid out your goals or plans are. It is inevitable.
Rats are chosen as subjects to study regarding human behavior and diseases because they are genetically matched and have counterpart genes, though we may possibly feel insulted to be compared with a rat. To be called a rat could conjure up three possible interpretations. One is to be a dirty or gross person or one of nasty character and the second, would be slang for a person who smokes or does some sort of drugs, and thirdly, is a person who is a snitch, having no morals they will betray others in a heartbeat to save their own skin. If someone were to say, “I smell a rat,” it would be that they are suspicious of the circumstances or people they are dealing with. They do not know what is exactly wrong, but they know that something is not right. And as aforementioned, if we say “This is a rat race”, it refers to all of us in a constant frenzy or whirlwind to get to the next best thing. Not complimentary to us as humans by no means, but very apropos.
This brings to mind another rodent comparison, the hamster. They are tiny creatures that have an extremely high metabolism, and therefore an inherent energy and active nature. Thus, the creation of the hamster wheel. The hamster has energy but does not know what to do with it. They just run in circles like a dog chasing their tails, therefore, if you are the proud owner of a pet hamster, providing the wheel is almost essential to allowing them to expend all the energy they have. It is not uncommon for a hamster to run an average of five miles a night. The hamster wheel can be used for long distances such as these, even in a confined space, much like a treadmill for humans. However, in the morning, the rodent finds himself in the same location as where he started. The earliest seen reference to a hamster wheel was in 1949, but there have been many variations since then, including for human use. Philip Baum of Pennsylvania has converted this concept into a human hamster’s wheel for the use of driving a snow cone machine. He and his family travel to fairs and carnivals with these and in 2021 he was designing a model to sell for home use, for exercising as well. Though this might be considered fun in this application, the full meaning if applied to life, is not as desirable.
The expression, ‘I feel like I’m caught on a hamster’s wheel,’ is often used when people feel like they are stuck in a rut, or spinning their wheels so fast, yet not going anywhere. Sometimes we can feel like we are trapped or caught in an endless cycle but not achieving anything. The continuous cycle of waking up, doing the same thing day after day and then going to bed at night, knowing the next day will bring the same thing, is often discouraging and exhausting, physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. This is where we must stop and remember that this must be where the comparison with these little creatures, ends. We have the capacity to ‘get off the wheel’ and ‘open the cage’ and step out into the great unknown. It is called reasoning ability, coupled with trust. 2 Corinthians 5:7 states, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Hebrews 10:35-38 tells us, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith:” We must step out by faith, knowing that God is ordering our steps in his perfect will. Psalm 37:23 tells us, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way.” We are the only one that can bring change to our world.
Have you heard the expression, “No risk, no reward”? Hebrews 12:1-3 states, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” The battle is won in the mind way before the risk is ever taken. Therefore, we must pace ourselves, not be weary and wait upon the Lord for the right time for us to launch and take that risk, by faith. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” We must acknowledge in our hearts and minds that God will show us what to do, in His timing. A verse we should recite repeatedly to ourselves during this process is Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”
One thing to note about our rodent counterparts, in particular the hamster, notwithstanding the extra pent-up energy they have, why do they look forward to being on their wheel day after day? They do not feel trapped as we do, because they have developed a “runners high” from this activity, which makes them look forward to the next time on the wheel. Endorphins are released when they are running, and it makes them feel good. This happens to humans as well, which can have some positive effects such as a boost of happiness or pleasure, reduction in symptoms of stress, anxiety, pain, and depression. This can keep us going for a while, however, in the ‘race’ of life, if we stop long enough for reality to set in, we will realize that we have been going at full speed, but we are still at the same location that we started at. We have made zero progress. Many people live from one high to another, whether it be from running or exercise, work, friends, society or material goods, but oft times this will lead to a crash and burn scenario. The benefits of running are powerful and invigorating, however, in life, not using that expended energy to get anywhere, can be devastating, and bring with it a sense of failure and hopelessness.
There are those who would say, trusting God, launching out by faith, and taking risks are far easier said than done. I agree with the fact that it is not easy, but the rewards can be so great that it is well worth the effort. Also, if you do not try, you will never know if you will fail or succeed. Let me not just throw out cliches but let me offer something that may be helpful in this new found way of running the ‘rat race’ of life. How about stopping long enough to take a good long pause to consider your priorities. What is most important to you in your life? Is it a job, family, friends, ministry, self-fulfillment, or something else? You name it. There are not any wrong answers, because we are not cookie cutters. We are all individuals with unique hopes and dreams, likes and dislikes, so on and so forth. Once you have found out what your priorities are, then you can produce a plan of action on how you will be able to achieve them and see things accomplished in your life. However, with all of these there will be a risk you will have to take, a first step toward your goal.
Despite all our prioritizing and goal setting, the one thing we must keep in mind, if we are a child of God, is to take the matter to the Lord in prayer. Jesus as our example, when He discovered, as a man, that dying was not going to be pleasant, even though he had known all his life that this was his purpose for being born of Mary, said in Luke 22:42, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.” It was not God’s will to remove this burden from Him, but rather that He should fulfill His purpose. I am glad Jesus bet on us and took the risk. James 4:13-15 admonishes us of the same concept, “Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, which appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” InEcclesiastes 4:6, Solomon helps us see that setting priorities is a particularly important aspect of our life in this rat race we find ourselves in, “Better is a handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.” We must genuinely slow down long enough to really decide what we are reaching for. Weigh the pros and cons of our decision and ask ourselves the important question, “Will this bring me joy, peace and satisfaction, or will this just be a temporary high, that will lead to another endless cycle?”
1 Corinthians 9:24 tells us, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” The children’s story called the Tortoise and the Hare, offers us a great life lesson. It goes like this,
There once lived a very proud hare. He loved to stroll around the warren with his nose held
high in the air. Everyone knew that the hare thought he was the best hare there ever was.
There was one thing that the hare was prouder of than anything else. He had been
blessed with strong back legs, and that meant he could run very fast. He never missed an
opportunity to show off his running skills to his friends, and no one had ever been known to run
faster than him–or not until the day he met the tortoise, who slowly crawled by as the hare was
bragging to his friends.
“Hurry up, hurry up, old tortoise!” laughed the hare. “If you went much slower, the grass would
grow over you!” “You may rush all you wish,” the tortoise said, “but I get to where I want to be soon enough, thank you.” He looked the hare up and down slowly before continuing. “In fact, I reckon I could get there quicker than you, fast as you are.” The hare burst out laughing. “Quicker than me? That I should like to see!” and so he challenged the tortoise to a race.
The arrangements were soon made, and the very next day everyone arrived to watch the hare and the tortoise run their race. “Five, four, three, two, one, go!” cried the rooster, and in a flash the hare was out of sight and over the hill. The crowd clapped and cheered as the old tortoise lifted first one foot and then the other and slowly began to make his way along the path. He looked neither to the right nor to the left but kept his eyes on the winding road straight ahead. The hare raced along the road. It was obvious to one and all that the hare was in a great hurry, and it seemed he would surely win. Far behind him the tortoise plodded steadily along.
Soon the hare had reached the race’s halfway point. “I have plenty of time,” he said to himself. “I
must be miles ahead of that old slowpoke tortoise by now. In fact, I could have a snooze right here and now, and when I wake up continue on my way and I would still have time to beat that tortoise.” And so, the hare sat down under a tree and went to sleep. The hours passed by and after a time the tortoise appeared over the hill. He walked down the road till he reached the spot where the hare sat, fast asleep. The tortoise looked but did not say a word and continued steadily on his way. The sun was beginning to go down when the hare suddenly woke up. He yawned and stretched and saw to his satisfaction that the tortoise was nowhere to be seen. “Plenty of time to win the race!” said the hare to himself happily. Off down the road he sped, but as he came over the hill, he saw the most amazing sight. There ahead of him was the tortoise taking his last few steps towards the finish line! The crowds cheered wildly as his shiny shell broke the tape in two, and the rooster declared him the winner. As the hare panted for breath at the end of the race, the tortoise smiled. “Slow I may be, but I keep my eye on the goal and I don’t let anything distract me!”
We must slow down, seek the face of God, decide where we are going, make our plan and launch out with that first scary, risky step. Begin running your race, not like the Hare, the Rat, or the Hamster, but like the Tortoise, staying focused, keeping our eyes on the prize, and enduring until the end. You will thus be able to get from point A to point B, without finding that you were running and exhausted and still in the same place, thus ending ‘the rat race’ cycle in your life. “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”