“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12-13, NKJV)
Cross country runners face it, approaching, at last, the long, steep hill climb to complete the race. Boxers in the 7th round feel it when exhaustion burns in their tightening arm muscles. Wrestlers going into the third period of a fierce competition, against a ruthless opponent, know it, and must call up the strength within them to get to the final bell and not get pinned, but get the win.
They can’t quit. They must not give up, even moments before when that prized victory shout is about to happen, while slightly, even so slightly, they consider that it might not come.
A young mother, carrying the ever growing new life within, holds on to make it to the end of the nine long months, hoping, but yet a bit uncertain, if all will come out right, with their child having the ten fingers and the ten toes that will be just perfect.
Even the pastor of 12 years, having given as much as he thought he had to give out, must not stop and give up, nor give in. He must still call upon the name of the Lord, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. He must keep looking to the One who started him on this journey, and not let discouragement and lack of results end the still young man’s initial dream.
We all will face the temptation to call it quits, to end what was started, having begun with so many large expectations, only to look back and think it will never, ever happen. Those big plans and deep desires, instilled years before, seem to be fading away, with the sun setting once again, ending the day the way it began.
From the desk of Steve Shultz:
