SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE.

Please excuse the impromptu hiatus. It really wasn’t planned. All I can say is that September was a busy month. I spent the month celebrating another year that God has graciously granted me. I took a solo trip to Paris and had an encounter with the presence of God that was so transformative, that I needed the rest of the month to sit in what He taught me, so I had nothing to talk about (for once). That’s not to say there hasn’t been anything to talk about. The world is still dark and destructive. But God is still and will always be good, so I wanted to just ponder that for a while. Like I said, there is a lot going on in this world, and it reminded me of my journey, my walk with God, the fight to keep my faith in a world that seeks to destroy it. This idea that we are taking part in a race, but not a race to get to first or even second or third place, but to just make it to the finish line made me think of marathon runners. I thought about how they train for their chosen race, whether 5k,10k, or even a half-marathon. They train for up to one year, depending on their fitness levels or experience. Marathon runners never just sign up to run without training first. Ultimately, the goal of a marathon runner is to just finish the race! This, to me, is what it is like to be a Christian. We are running this race (or walking with God) to make it to the finish line, which is where Jesus is waiting to hand us our heavenly prize.

We read the word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, making us more like Jesus. This is how we train to run our race. The longer we spend training in the word, strengthening our faith, the more endurance we build up to run this race. This race is not about coming first place. This is about making it to the finish line! I remember when I first gave my life to Jesus five years ago. I had so much fire and zeal, I am sure I took off at the start of my marathon like I was Usain Bolt, looking back at weary runners wondering why they were so slow. But as I kept running, I started to realise this wasn’t a race to first place, but a race to make it to the end. I realised that I would burn out quickly if I didn’t change the way I ran, so I made endurance my priority. MATTHEW 24:13 “BUT THE ONE WHO ENDURES TO THE END WILL BE SAVED.”

Enduring to the end simply means to remain firm in your commitment to God, to be obedient to him despite temptation, opposition, and adversity. Let’s be clear, all runners will be tempted to quit the race before the end. Many will do just that because it will seem easier. Some people might decide to take a break from running, promising to rejoin the race at a later date, which is dangerous because once you stop running you lose your momentum and find it hard to pick up where you left off. GALATIONS 5:7 “YOU WERE RUNNING WELL. WHO HINDERED YOU FROM OBEYING THE TRUTH?” And then there are the runners that run slow but keep a steady pace, these are the ones that make it to the end, these are the ones who have trained and sacrificed their time preparing for the endurance needed to receive their prize. 2 TIMOTHY 4:7 “I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH.”

PHILLIPIANS 3:12-14 “I DON’T MEAN TO SAY THAT I HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED THESE THINGS OR THAT I HAVE ALREADY REACHED PERFECTION. BUT I PRESS ON TO POSSESS THAT PERFECTION FOR WHICH CHRIST JESUS FIRST POSSESSED ME. NO, DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I HAVE NOT ACHIEVED IT, BUT I FOCUS ON THIS ONE THING: FORGETTING THE PAST AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD, I PRESS ON TO REACH THE END OF THE RACE AND RECEIVE THE HEAVENLY PRIZE FOR WHICH GOD, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, IS CALLING US.”

There is something about Paul talking about his imperfection and his drive to continue and to press on, looking ahead only, that I find encouraging. Paul, who knew he was not worthy for all he had done to persecute the church before he encountered Jesus, walked in a humbleness that I Iong to possess. The fact that this great man of God, whose letters we gleam from today and forever, always eluding to himself being a work in progress, is something we should all take courage from. Forgetting the past and looking forward can sometimes be the hardest part of our journeys. It’s the past that often keeps us bound from moving forward. In a world that is constantly throwing things in our paths to keep us from receiving our prize, paul tells us to press on. I imagine a strong wind working against us as we push forward, teeth gritted, determined to make it through.

The grace of God is so important as we run our marathons. Things happen in life to test us, and we are not always successful. This is what makes us all imperfect beings. But the real test of faith is what we do after we stumble or fall. Do we decide that the race is impossible and sit it out? Or do we get back up, dust off our knees, and continue on, even if our pace is slower than when we first began? It’s like when you watch a race and you see a runner take a fall and injure themself. You think that’s it, they are finished! But you see the fight in their eyes, the determination to cross that line sparks something in them that can seem somewhat supernatural at times, because even though they may no longer be able to run, they press on anyway, limping their way to the end. And as they approach the finish line, you often see their running mates swoop in to support them at the last 20 feet of the race. In that moment, it’s not about how long it took them to complete the race. In that moment, it’s about making it to the end when it seemed impossible, finding strength you didn’t know you had, not giving up!

This walk can be challenging, but that’s life. Life is a challenge. What sets someone that places their faith in Jesus apart from everyone else is that although life has it’s challenges, we do not go through lifes challenges alone. We have help, a hand to hold. We have a God who provides what we need. Don’t let your imperfections keep you from being perfected. If you stumble, let God lift you back up and keep going. Don’t look back on the past. Keep your eyes fixed on what lies ahead! Keep the word of God close to your heart. If your faith is wavering, it’s because you need to spend more time with Him in His word. His word is the key to endurance! As a brother or sister in Christ, we are called to gently and humbly help others who may be struggling to stay the course. Support each other when you see they need help. Don’t look at them as less than because their faith is weak or they are not as mature as you, walk alongside them, love them. We are one body working together with Christ at the head. Let’s start opperating as that. Every part of the body is just as important and is needed, so in a world where the love of man is growing cold, let’s show what the love of Jesus looks like so we can be the light and salt of the earth God calls us to be. JAMES 1:12 “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO REMAINS STEADFAST UNDER TRIAL, FOR WHEN HE HAS STOOD THE TEST HE WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE, WHICH GOD HAS PROMISED TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.”