Sorry it's been several weeks since I posted on my blog but we're back in gear now.
This event has been etched in my mind now for around 35 years. Not in a negative way but as a gentle reminder of a powerful truth we all need to remember.
Since I was a young boy I've always loved running. The joy of running played out with me joining my schools track team in the eighth grade and then continuing to the ninth grade. While in eighth grade I was an average long distance runner maybe placing third in one meet. I know I never placed first.
During the summer between my eighth and ninth grade years I worked very hard to become a better runner. I ran almost every day and loved it. Due to my hard work my running skills improved which was evident in my ninth grade year of track.
I placed second or third in every meet and then the week before the district meet I placed first in the mile run. All my hard work had been paying off. Then came the district meet, the one that counted and would reveal the district champions in each event and the team champion in our district.
I felt great and was still excited about my first place finish the previous week. The energy of winning first place was carrying over to this next and final competition of the year. I started the race and was in the front of the pack almost the whole time. As we started the last lap I began to pull away and took a solid lead. I came around the last turn and could hear the fans and other teammates cheering me on. Yes I was going to be the district champ in the mile run!
Then just a few yards from the finish line I did something I'd never done, I slowed down and looked back. I guess I thought I had the race won. Well you can probably figure out the result of my great mistake. I was passed by another runner and lost the race. And to top it off it was a guy from a school that was and still is a huge rival with the school I attended.
Why did I slow down and look back? I'd been trained to never do this. We heard it week after week from our coaches. After the race I could hear my coach yelling at me, "Woolf, you slowed down and looked back!"
Well I learned a great lesson that day which you and I can apply to our lives even now. Look at the following Bible scripture with me.
1 Corinthians 9:24- "Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!"
God has called each of us to run our race. Throughout this "race" you're going to have successes and failures. But my friends if you and I are going to "run to win" we cannot "slow down and look back." This can be difficult especially if your past holds some traumatic events.
I've spoke of our recent failure of planting a church in previous blogs. I mean we stepped out in faith and did what we were certain God was asking us to do. We "fell flat on our face" and experienced devastation in many areas. There were temptations to just quit and say the heck with it! Just being honest!
But can I tell you that God is faithful and His grace is sufficient, even for your most difficult moments. He will never leave you or forsake you! Even when it appears things are falling apart around you.
But here's the deal. As you remain connected to God He's going to let you know that you still have a race to run. He's still calling you to fulfill His plan and purpose and you've got to "RUN TO WIN!"
What does that mean? It means when God speaks to you and ask you to take a step of faith, YOU CAN'T SLOW DOWN AND LOOK BACK!" You can't allow your past difficulties to cause fear in your heart and paralyze you and keep you from running forward with faith and courage.
My friend it's time for you and me to DREAM AGAIN! But if you're going to dream again there will be temptations to "slow down and look back." Your biggest rival, Satan, does not want you to win your race. He wants you to continually be looking back living in doubt and fear.
So we must determine today that we're going to "run to win." As I write this I'm listening to a song I love. You may have heard it before it goes like this. "Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me." I love it! Because His love never runs out on us we can "RUN TO WIN AND DREAM AGAIN!"
Philippians 3:12-14- "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
This verse says it all! Friends it's time to let go of the past, don't look back, and DREAM AGAIN!
Encouraging the world,
Ken Woolf
This event has been etched in my mind now for around 35 years. Not in a negative way but as a gentle reminder of a powerful truth we all need to remember.
Since I was a young boy I've always loved running. The joy of running played out with me joining my schools track team in the eighth grade and then continuing to the ninth grade. While in eighth grade I was an average long distance runner maybe placing third in one meet. I know I never placed first.
During the summer between my eighth and ninth grade years I worked very hard to become a better runner. I ran almost every day and loved it. Due to my hard work my running skills improved which was evident in my ninth grade year of track.
I placed second or third in every meet and then the week before the district meet I placed first in the mile run. All my hard work had been paying off. Then came the district meet, the one that counted and would reveal the district champions in each event and the team champion in our district.
I felt great and was still excited about my first place finish the previous week. The energy of winning first place was carrying over to this next and final competition of the year. I started the race and was in the front of the pack almost the whole time. As we started the last lap I began to pull away and took a solid lead. I came around the last turn and could hear the fans and other teammates cheering me on. Yes I was going to be the district champ in the mile run!
Then just a few yards from the finish line I did something I'd never done, I slowed down and looked back. I guess I thought I had the race won. Well you can probably figure out the result of my great mistake. I was passed by another runner and lost the race. And to top it off it was a guy from a school that was and still is a huge rival with the school I attended.
Why did I slow down and look back? I'd been trained to never do this. We heard it week after week from our coaches. After the race I could hear my coach yelling at me, "Woolf, you slowed down and looked back!"
Well I learned a great lesson that day which you and I can apply to our lives even now. Look at the following Bible scripture with me.
1 Corinthians 9:24- "Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!"
God has called each of us to run our race. Throughout this "race" you're going to have successes and failures. But my friends if you and I are going to "run to win" we cannot "slow down and look back." This can be difficult especially if your past holds some traumatic events.
I've spoke of our recent failure of planting a church in previous blogs. I mean we stepped out in faith and did what we were certain God was asking us to do. We "fell flat on our face" and experienced devastation in many areas. There were temptations to just quit and say the heck with it! Just being honest!
But can I tell you that God is faithful and His grace is sufficient, even for your most difficult moments. He will never leave you or forsake you! Even when it appears things are falling apart around you.
But here's the deal. As you remain connected to God He's going to let you know that you still have a race to run. He's still calling you to fulfill His plan and purpose and you've got to "RUN TO WIN!"
What does that mean? It means when God speaks to you and ask you to take a step of faith, YOU CAN'T SLOW DOWN AND LOOK BACK!" You can't allow your past difficulties to cause fear in your heart and paralyze you and keep you from running forward with faith and courage.
My friend it's time for you and me to DREAM AGAIN! But if you're going to dream again there will be temptations to "slow down and look back." Your biggest rival, Satan, does not want you to win your race. He wants you to continually be looking back living in doubt and fear.
So we must determine today that we're going to "run to win." As I write this I'm listening to a song I love. You may have heard it before it goes like this. "Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me." I love it! Because His love never runs out on us we can "RUN TO WIN AND DREAM AGAIN!"
Philippians 3:12-14- "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
This verse says it all! Friends it's time to let go of the past, don't look back, and DREAM AGAIN!
Encouraging the world,
Ken Woolf
No comments:
Post a Comment