RUNNING THE RACE – Part 2
Sep 24 in Running the Race
Every race requires persistence, perseverance, endurance, the will to press on. Every training programme will push beyond our current abilities and stretch us beyond our capabilities. If it were charted on a graph the line would not be straight; it would go forwards, backwards, up and down and sometimes feel like it’s going nowhere. Life is unpredictable and never seems to go to plan. A journey of unexpected twists and turns which come in the form of disappointments, obstacles, injuries and setbacks followed by the overwhelming feelings to ‘give up’. However, through it all we learn how to overcome challenges, build resilience and become stronger and better despite the circumstances.
Failure or the fear of failure can be our greatest setback, however our greatest teacher. Practice sharpens skills as mistakes aid and support growth. Failure teaches resilience, helps us evaluate where we went wrong and learn that sometimes we need to change. ‘It is through failure that we learn the greatest lessons that life can teach us.’ Our experiences will one day be used to affect and encourage others. All personal development ultimately is to benefit, help and inspire others on their own race.
Staying the course.
We need to seek and ask the Lord for a Word (a scripture or promise) to stand on when feelings of fear, thoughts of doubt, other’s negative opinions, our own internal critic and both physical and mental fatigue try hinder us from keeping on in the race. Choosing instead to listen to our internal coach (the Holy Spirit) and hold on to His directives. Having the mental toughness of choosing to go against the way ‘I feel’, my own personal comfort and what ‘I feel like doing’ and push through, regardless. There will always be a reason to choose an easier route or an easy way out; the hardest thing: to stay the course to the finish line.
Trusting the training process.
Reaching our goal will require us to constantly push new boundaries. As in resistance training it builds inner strength, physical fortitude and muscle memory. We are being trained, as Godly patterns are being established and our senses trained to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). Only as we learn to handle and overcome in little things will we be entrusted with the bigger things (Matthew 25:23). Every phase of the race brings a new and harder challenge like any console game where you are given the instruments and weapons needed to pass and advance to the next level. Fail and you’re brought right back to the beginning of that test again, may look slightly different but the skills and keys necessary remain the same.
‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’ A. Einstein
Staying in our lane.
The greatest temptation is that of comparison as we focus on other runners and their races. Sometimes we will be tempted to swap lanes and join their race. ‘Your race is specific to you, stay in your lane!‘. The only plumb-line by which we should measure ourselves is the Word of God as we learn to apply His principles and values to every part of our life. Not forgetting that success looks different for everyone.
Finding time to REST.
Rest is important. Keeping the Sabbath, a day of rest, realigns us. Meeting our need to consider our week re-evaluate and re-set. Where am I? Where am I going? How am I doing? What is God saying?… God made us, fashioned us, knows how we work. If my body could speak, what would it be trying to say to me? Taking time to refresh, reflect, re-energise and address any injuries or bruises inflicted on the way.
Preparation, structure, consistency, focus, courage and a good mentor /coach are all essential ingredients for running the race. Leonardo da Vinci considered the human foot ‘a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art’. There is nothing God asks us to do that He doesn’t equip us for. He goes before us, prepares the way and provides us with everything we need for our race.
‘Churchill was called upon to lead the British through the desperate hours of WWII. He said :’I felt as if I were walking with destiny and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and this trial’ ‘Your whole life has been a preparation’ ‘No one else can be who you are meant to be’
… to be Continued …