“Just keep running.”
That was the advice my coach gave me when he grabbed me by the shoulders and tossed me onto the track.
“Give it all you’ve got. You’d better not quit!”
When the girl who was supposed to run the first leg of the race got injured, Coach chose me to step in. Here is why that was a surprising choice — I threw shotput and discus. My experience was in heaving a 9-pound ball through the air or spinning around and catapulting a disc as far as I could. Girls who perform in that “field” part of track-and-field are not often sprinters; we aren’t built for it. I’m just going to say it — we tend to be slightly larger than the 100-meter dashers. In fact, we would probably be voted “Least Likely to Dash.” And to make matters worse, we were in the state finals. No pressure. I felt unprepared — and a little nauseous. Have you ever felt ill-equipped for what is required of you in a situation?
“There must be some mistake” is an understandable reaction when God slots you for a race and you have exactly zero minutes of experience. You believe you are desperately unqualified — but God is not desperate like my coach was. God is designing and deliberate. Plus, He is the qualifier. Your Maker is the one who equips, educates, supports and strengthens you so you can advance toward the finish line. Are you in the race? Are you ready to win it?
“You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. So run to win!” (1 Cor. 9:24, NCV).
If you are living your Christian life, quitting before the sound of the starter pistol, giving up because of some weakness or worry, remember — you are chosen for this leg of the race. God put you on the roster because of the greatness He is capable of doing through you if you will simply get moving.
Look, there’s a lot going on in life. I know that people are rough. Frenemies will stab you in the back; relationships will walk out of your life. Family can be toxic; jobs can be tough. None of these obstacles can force you out. You are on the right team. Jesus has equipped you and the Holy Spirit is your personal trainer. God is going to give you strength to get through your trials. He’s going to help you turn your struggles, all your stumbling blocks, into stepping-stones. You are a winner.
So, keep moving. Give it all you’ve got.
Don’t quit. Run to win! {eoa}
