Race Strategy

Heb 12:1 Do you see what this means-all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running-and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed- that exhilarating finish in and with God-he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the pace of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flaggin in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (The Messsage Bible)

I love the Message bible! It doesn't waste any time getting to the point...it just says it. We live in a day of strategy. We cannot just get out on the track and expect that we are going to run a great race without considering the method. A long distance race is not a sprint. In a long-distance race, your biggest enemies are your mind and your body...not necessarily the other runners. You can defeat yourself. As we "run" this race for Christ we defeat ourselves. There are many people out here on the course,,,most of them sitting by the wayside saying "oh, I'm just taking a break,,,I'll be back out there in a minute!" Yeah, sure. Truth is, it is very hard to get your momentum back once you let it go.
I have watched this scenario play out over and over again. People go their own way, do their own thing, go AMA (Against Ministerial Advice) ..and think they are going to have success and God's favor on them. It never works out that way. Oh, they get to enjoy the pleasure of the sin of disobedience for a season, but then the consequence shows up...BIG TIME! The devil is a ruthless opponent. He kicks them, punishes them, takes just about everything but their life and then adds condemnation to the top of the heap. The condemnation is the bonus for having a defiant spirit.
When the person realizes how far they have fallen, the condemnation prevents them from making a full recovery and returning home. The accuser then starts to whisper sweet nothings in their ear--everybody's looking at you, they are judging your mistakes, you can never be right, remember how you left???? Why do people think leaders take pleasure in the destruction of sheep? That's crazy, a true shepherd never wants to have that "I told you so" moment. We just want the sheep to come home so we can help them heal.
Remember, it is better to endure the hardness and keep running. Your second-wind will kick in just when you think you can't go further. It always does. As for all that have fallen off the pace,,,,get up,,,,and get back in the race. You can't finish if you don't begin again. God is very forgiving,,,so are his real people.
Selah....(pause and think)
Love you....~~PASTOR J~~