The Race

Good days aren't just good days. They are incredible. I start the morning off with an "aha!" Word of God moment. I see something I haven't seen before. Or something old becomes new and relevant. I go into my day with a strength and resolve that just yesterday was more like exhaustion and resign. I get it today. I get that I didn't have to be perfect yesterday to accept the love of God today and to live it out as if I always have, in fullness of joy just like I was meant to. It feels good, and I want to share this love with the world! I want everyone to know the freeing, healing love of God!

And then, the voice.

Come on. Who are you fooling? What kind of witness are you? Just yesterday, you were a whole other person. Enjoy it while it lasts because it's temporary. The right temptation, the first sign of trouble, you'll be right back on board with me. Snub your nose at me, but you know it's true. That Cross has no power. You are who you are. Today, you are a fake. Tomorrow, you're mine.

I know it's true. I will be right back on the other side soon, messing up, failing, falling flat on my face and threatening to take the whole of the believing world with me. Only, it's not really like that at all. God's love and forgiveness are absolute. My Abba Father knows and understands my childishness, and while He expects me to love Him with everything I've got, He put a plan into place long before I ever was to help me to get back up and dust my knees off and join the race again.

I have a choice to make at every turn. I can obey my God, or I can get distracted by the unimportant things and eventually find myself upside down and off track, wondering how I got there. I praise God for the Cross, for the blood of His Son, my Saviour, who has His angels standing at the ready, and for the Holy Spirit who reminds me what choices to make-and for my Jesus who picks me up and dusts off my knees, who wipes away the blood and the tears, and holds me. Then He looks me in the face, and says, "Let's get back in there and finish this race."

I don't run the race because I fear death. Death has no power over me any longer, so I can run with boldness. I run for the love of my King! I run because I was created for that purpose! I run because I know He is running beside me, with His angels cheering in the stands, and God is at the finish line waiting for me to run into His arms!