You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. – Galatians 5:7-8 NLT
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. – Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
We all have times when we become weary in running our race. It is during these times that we should ask ourselves the question found in Galatians, Who has held you back from following the truth?, and then determine to refocus on Jesus. Russell Clemons, a friend and former pastor of mine, once taught me to keep my eyes on Christ because people and everything else will fail me, but Jesus will never ever fail me. Are you tired? Is someone or some circumstance holding you back in running well your race? I encourage you to pray this prayer: Dear God, I’ve been running, and I’m tired. I’m being tempted to quit trying and give up, but I want to run well my race and hear you say at the end, “Good job!” Help me to stand firm and fight to the finish on this leg of my journey. Help me to refocus, hold my ground, and dig deep. I choose to run well my race in a way that pleases you.