Are You Tired?

Have you ever had to run so long that your heart felt like it was going to leap out of your chest? Your legs were on fire and felt like spaghetti? Your mouth so dry that it hurt to swallow? Your body in pain from exhaustion? I remember joining a marathon back when I lived in Massachusetts... I was only 14 years old. I was a part of a huge tradition. I remember the excitement I felt as I placed my number on my chest and made my way to the front of the line. With hundreds of people surrounding me I had it in my head that I could actually win this race. Bear in mind that I've had no previous experience running a long distance race before. I didn't even train for this race... I just happen to show up and was able to sign myself in. I remember lining up at the starting line. The adrenaline pumping through my body. I was a man on a mission. "On your mark.. get set... GO!", the sound of the gun went off and I bolted. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I WAS IN FIRST PLACE!!! At least for the first quarter mile... Something that had earlier escaped me was the over powering feeling of exhaustion. I was completely and utterly tired. I quickly began to slow down. I went from a sprint to a slower pace jog and then finally to a walk and almost a crawl. Only 7 more miles to go. Needless to say, I didn't win the race. In the New Testament, Paul compares our relationship with Christ to a race. Sometimes as Christians we need to understand how to pace ourselves in our walk with Christ. I remember when I first accepted Jesus in my heart... I felt like I could take on the world. I remember telling everybody I could about Him. As time went on though, I began to get lazy in my relationship with God. He would give me opportunities to share with people and I wouldn't. I had felt so beat down with people's excuses of why they didn't believe in God or how Jesus was a great guy but wasn't God... that it began to take a tole in my walk with Christ. I began to get tainted with the thoughts, "why should I share, it's not like any body's even listening?". You may find this hard to believe but, our job as believers is NOT to save people. It's not in our job description. Our job is simply to plant the seed... to be a tool of the Holy Spirit. It's only by the Holy Spirit that people are saved. Perhaps you're sitting there reading this and thinking, "why should I even bother anymore?" That's an honest question... the answer is simple... because your still alive. Until the day that we stand before God, we are all in a race. Though you may be tired, frustrated, exhausted... just know that we don't run this race alone. Our Lord is there with us cheering us on. If you stumble, He'll catch you. If you fall, He'll pick you up. When you are weak and can't go on, He'll carry you. Don't grow weary in doing well... Don't give in to this world which will one day pass away. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1