Race at the Right Pace!

It seems as though everybody is "racing around"....and "stressed" these days.  What's all the hurry?  Pace yourself....trim down your busy schedules....get your priorities straight (and your head straight)!

Life is a combination of a marathon and an obstacle course.  It's a l-o-n-g journey, which has its ups-and-downs.  So you have to:  (1)  Run with patience [Hebrews 12:1] and with ENDURANCE.  ENDURE means:  To experience pain or hardship/disagreeable things without giving up; the ability to continue over long periods of time in the face of trials and tribulations.  Now who wants to do that?  Our flesh doesn't....neither did Jesus, but HE DID IT for us.  He ENDURED the cross for the JOY that was set before Him!!!   The FINISH LINE was where He received joy...where He was embraced by His Father...where He received the crown of glory (the victory).

(2)  Jesus had a lot of godly wisdom.  He knew He had to have REST STOPS along the way.  He always drew away to have quiet times to rest and converse with His Father.  Psalm 23 encourages us to "lie down in green pastures--beside still waters."  We need times of refreshment and rest. 
Even race car drivers in the INDY 500 pull off the road for "pit stops!"

(3)  The Apostle Paul said in II Timothy 4:7, "I have FINISHED my course (race), I have kept the faith."  It was a long, hard journey for Paul.  He experienced pain and hardship, but he never gave up...he never quit in the face of trials and tribulations. 

Many Christians are good STARTERS...but few are good FINISHERS!  Both Paul and Jesus could confidently say they finished the work God had given them to do.  They never  quit...they never dropped out of the race.

GRACE is our RACE! 
      LOVE endures to the end (the finish line)!