There are so many motivational quotes out there about what would matter at the end. Even though they’re all great quotes, they mean nothing when standing alone.
Listening to the ‘gurus’ of our time may motivate us, but it will soon dissipate because it’s based on nothing of substance. They may help us to take our focus off our circumstances and weaknesses for a while, telling us that we can do anything we put our minds to. But soon enough, the cracks reappear. And it will continue to happen, because by nature, humans cannot sustain themselves in a broken world.
I remember running the Two Oceans. It’s 56km of exhilaration, pain and perseverance. You run the first 20km or so, loving the scenery and feeling strong. Then you hit Chapman’s Peak, and what had been feeling like total control, evaporates into utter insecurity. “Will I make it up this mountain?” doesn’t only echo in your mind, it echoes through every muscle in your body. Once you reach the top, hope begins to well up when you see Hout Bay come into view.
But by the time you’ve run the equivalent of a marathon, you reach Constantia Neck. It’s a crazy steep hill that ‘tells’ you to give up. And you begin to seriously consider it. But then you remind yourself – “Only 12 more km’s!” And you keep going, because you can ‘smell’ the finish line. Everything in you, is telling you that you won’t make it, but the will to finish softens the voices of doubt, and the cheering on the side of the road lifts you to a new level.
I’ve chosen a long way around to share my point today, but I think it makes it more practical. At the end of the day, we all need something steadfast and eternal to focus on. If we live our lives believing that there is no God, then we will never have anything steadfast to hold on to. In the end, God is the One who has created me. He’s the One who longs to walk with me. And He’s the One who is cheering me on every step of the race.
If I trust on my own strength through life, I will continuously fall and become despondent. But if I put my faith and trust in God Almighty, I become strong when I am weak. Satan can come with all his attempts to make me give up, but when he does, l choose to listen to my God, cheering me on to finish strong. In the end, knowing God by accepting Christ Jesus as our personal Saviour, is the only way to keep our eyes on the finish line.
I’m not sure of you, but I want to finish this race strongly. And when I do, I long to hear God say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
Have a wonderful day knowing who you are in Christ.
Mark Davidson
