Patient endurance is what you need
now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that
he has promised. ~Hebrews 10:36
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
and I have remained faithful. ~2 Timothy 4:7
I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that
prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing
to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus
has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. ~Acts 20: 23-24
We often wonder why thousands of
marathoners or athletes in general seem to enjoy “punishing” themselves in
intense races. Certainly, for most, it’s not the hope or desire of winning. So
then what is it? The real joy in racing is just finishing the contest with
yourself- doing what you have set out to do and accomplish.
What are your faith-race goals or in
other words, what do you desire to see happen in your neighborhood or around
you that you are apart of leading right now?
Effective leaders accomplish
seemingly impossible tasks because they never give up just as an athlete won’t
give up until they see the finish line. Despite mounting criticism, intense
opposition, and overwhelming obstacles, they persevere with determined resolve
because they have a goal in mind and have a desire to see the finish line and
to finish the race that they are “running”. They refuse to quit and give up.
However, often, the easiest thing
would be to quit and just give up. Forget about one's dream and goals and
return to the comfort and convenience of mediocrity. Give in to the words of
the critics, give up to the opposition, and give way to the obstacles. Simply
just run away from what’s in front of us since sometimes we can’t see the
finish line but we know it’s there somewhere.
In running a race, your body begins
to tell you after the first mile or two that it’s tired and can’t go any
further yet your mind may be telling you to continue to persevere since you
have hopefully trained for the race you are running and you can do it. With the
finish line in mind, you trick yourself into gaining more energy and
determination to not quit and to keep pushing forward until you reach your
destination, the finish line.
Great power is embodied in
persistence. The race is not always won by the fastest, nor the game by the
strongest, but rather by the one who keeps on keeping on, who refuses to give
up.
It is always too soon to quit. One of
the most powerful and destructive tools that Satan has in his arsenal is
discouragement, the subtle but dangerous compulsion to give up, to quit,
saying, "What's the use?" When looking around and seeing all that is
going on, it’s easy to get discouraged and ask “what’s the use” but then we are
reminded of the Hope that we have in Christ and the hope that He has for all of
us, the neighborhoods, the residents, etc. To me, that’s a part of Celebration
of Hope, to go beyond the paint and to bring back Hope to those that may have
found themselves at a point of quitting the race and to give each one of you
the tools needed to continue persevering and running the race by letting you
know that you’re not alone but have others running along side you to help get
you to the finish line.
I know in running a race, I always do
better when I can find someone to match my pace with or when I have a buddy
running with me. It’s then that I have someone to lean on and remind me to keep
pushing on and not to give up when things get tough and it’s my hope that you
can find that coming to these meetings, seeing and hearing each others stories,
and so forth is that encouragement to keep running the race you are running and
to know that you’re not in the race alone and that the finish line for this
phase of life’s journey is somewhere in the distance that we will eventually
cross over… You will finish the race, you may not be able to see the finish
line or the end at this moment but through endurance and perseverance, you will
get there.
When you are tempted to quit: resist. We must endure in
the battle until the evil day is over. We must press on in the face of the
temptation to quit. Until the war is over, we must fight to the end. Until the
race is finished, we must keep running. Until the wall is built, we must keep
stacking bricks. Never give up. Never. The promises of God are always at the
end and with us always!
