I can't see the end but going to endure...

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!