Keep On Keepin’ On!

“Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus… lest ye wearied and faint in your minds” —Hebrews 12:2-3

The Christian life is likened to running a race. It is a race of endurance—Of not quitting or giving up.  Anyone who has run a marathon or half marathon knows running a race gets wearisome.   Your legs hurt… your feet burn… your heart is pounding… you breath heavily, and you just want to stop. It is at that time, you “suck-it-up” and press on to the finish line.  That is the Christian life—Perseverance!

Walter Elliot noted, “Perseverance is not running a long race; it is running many short races one after another.” Amen—The Christian race is a series of many races (all run at the same time!).

There is the race of PRAYER. Have you ever got tired of praying for a particular thing you know is in the will of God, but the answer never seems to come. Daniel prayed for twenty-one days before he received an answer. He learned that the delay was because of a spiritual battle of which he knew nothing. So, PRAY ON!  Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

There is the race of BIBLE STUDY.  Maybe you set out to read your Bible through from cover to cover. But along the way you became weary in reading (probably in the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles). READ ON!  The Bible is like a gold mine (Ps. 19:10). But sometimes you got to dig a little to uncover the truth God has for your situation.

There is the race of EVANGELISM.  It may seem like all your witnessing, passing out tracts, and efforts to win people to Christ is fruitless. But God has promised His word would not return unto Him void (Isa. 55:11). Psalm 126 promises, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bering precious seed, shall DOUBTLESS come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him!” KEEP ON WITNESSING!

There is the race of CHRISTIAN SERVICE.  Yes, I know coming to church or attending a Life Group can be inconvenient at times. Preparing a S.S. lesson, choir practice, cleaning the buildings often may seem tedious.  But, we must remember Paul’s exhortation, “Let us not be weary in WELL DOING; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).

Bottom line: You gotta KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON!  Remember, “Pain lasts for a moment, but quitting lasts forever.” Keep on keepin’ on for the glory of God.  The joy of receiving a crown of life at Christ’s coming will far surpass any pain you are experiencing now (James 1:12).

“I PRESS toward the mark for THE PRIZE of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!” (Phil. 1:14).