Running Life’s Marathon

In most of last week’s topics, my thought process seemed to be focused on dealing with the obstacles and obsessions that seem to beset us all. We looked at the opportunities or the obstacles that God often sets in our path and we considered the life that God rewards as we continually look for ways to be faithful in our worship, service and love for our Heavenly Father….but before I leave this area of concern, I want us to consider how we deal with the trials, tribulations and tests of faith that are the markings of those who are called by the name of Christ…as we take up our cross and follow Him.

When a trial …trouble…test…or “tough break” come our way, how should we as God’s chosen deal with this “speed bump” along heaven’s highway? I believe we will respond in one of three ways.

We will seek to ENDURE the trial….often dragging many of our closest friends and family members down the road of suffering we now travel. We will lower our head, stick out our lower lip and cast our gaze downward… then, we will moan and groan about the “cross” that we must bear. We endure because we must…. and in that mindset we run the risk of becoming…BITTER.

Sometimes we will choose to ESCAPE the trial….we look around, find the closest EXIT and then, we make our move ….WE RUN TOWARD THE HILLS, never looking back at those we have left behind…never caring to help those that may be hurting and dealing with a seemingly insurmountable problem. We are free from the pain of the trial and in that mindset we try to convince ourselves that we feel….BETTER.

And then, there is the third choice of dealing with a trial…we can choose to ENLIGHTEN ourselves by seeking to know God’s will in the midst of the calamity. We can choose to let troubles or impending crises move us to a place of growth …we can use our trouble as a “stepping stone” to a higher place of commitment and trust  in our relationship with our Savior and in so doing, we allow our strengthening faith to make us BRAZEN and BOLD in our walk with our Lord.

As we seek to know God’s will in the midst of tumultuous times, we must realize that life is not a sprint but a marathon…we must endure in order that we might enlist our problems and our troubles to enable us to run that “good and perfect” race that God has set before each of us.

The writer of Hebrews said it best, “You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews 10:36

We must run life’s race to endure all that God has set before us… so that we may become all He has ordained us to be…so that we may accomplish all that He has set before us…but most of all, so that we may receive ALL that He has promised….

So lace up those shoes and prepare to run where God leads….a marathon that will carry you to the very gates of Heaven into a life everlasting…

Running into the fray…Growing stronger in My Savior,

WPQ