I’ve never been good at “going the distance”. And by ever, I mean like…ever. The way I’m wired is inclined to do the exact opposite, actually.
To check out when things get tough. To discover any and every exciting opportunity available when I feel bored. To relentlessly seek out the next best thing and go on an endless chase to “arrive.”
The more and more I talk to people my age I discover that too many of us feel this way. Persevering has been replaced with running, and commitments have been replaced with greener grass.
And I could be wrong, but I just don’t think this is the life God has called us to or the best He has planned for us. He calls us to the hard places and the valleys to persevere and teach us things about ourselves and about Him that He simply can’t teach us on the mountaintops.
So when I feel ready to get out of my lane, here’s one of my favorite verses I hang on to in order to walk into God’s best journey for me:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
By remembering I’m running the race God has set for me TODAY, I endure. I press on. I stay in my lane, which means I don’t look at the lane of the person beside me. I instead choose to fight everything against me that brings me away from God and find myself back to where He calls me. The more I focus on my lane and step into loving Him and loving the people around me, the valleys are brighter and I learn a whole lot more about who God is, which is what it’s truly all about.
So press on. Run your race. Chase endurance. Stay on your becoming journey, because I promise it’ll be worth it.
