When I was in middle
school I was a little overweight. I
loved being active and I was above average in most sports and activities, but
there were some goals that were just too difficult to achieve. I remember dreading the end of the semester
because I knew in our gym class we would be testing each of us on how many
chin-ups we could do (I could do exactly zero) and if we could complete a
ten-minute mile (I didn’t understand why we needed to run a mile).
Most of my friends
didn’t have any trouble with completing these tasks. Many of them were doing double digits
chin-ups and easily were running an eight-minute mile. But because of my delayed physical
development, I wasn’t able to reach these goals or match these marks. I remember my parents encouraging me to do my
best and just give it all I had. My
parents were always a positive force in my life and encouraged me to rise to
any challenge. To my parents, it didn’t
matter if I did a chin up or was faster than a stopwatch, what mattered to them
was that I did my best and I finished strong.
The author of the book
of Hebrews has a similar message of encouragement for us:
“Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” -Hebrews 12:1
If your family is
anything like mine then this time of year can be completely overwhelming. School is winding down, summer sports are
gearing up, and it seems like every weekend is filled with a wedding, holiday,
birthday or bar mitzvah. In the middle
of all of the coming and going, it’s hard to find time to even breathe let
alone focus on the things that we know we should be focusing on.
It may seem like it’s
impossible to do. And this month, you
may have the very real goal of just surviving and making it to the summer. Between your schedule, financial issues, marital
stress, health scares, and just everyday problems, it’s easy to feel weighed
down and trapped by your circumstances.
And when you feel totally overwhelmed, it’s tempting to just throw in
the towel and quit. It would be very
easy to and understandable if you just gave up.
But don’t.
As a parent you have the
best and most important job in the world, and while the enemy may be wanting
you to throw in the towel, and focus on lesser things. You must hear these words ….
Finish Strong.
I know when you hear
those two words; it makes you think of two other words … “But, how?” How can I finish strong when all of this
other stuff is weighing me down? How can
I be the parent God wants me to be with all of the responsibilities clouding my
mind? How can I love these little
people who won’t take their hands off me?
How can I affirm and encourage the teenager who won’t listen to a word I
say? How do I throw off everything that
hinders me?
“Those who hope in the
LORD will renew their strength. They
will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will
walk and not be faint.” -Isaiah 40:31
Make
the choice today to finish strong!
Choose this month to put your hope and your trust in God each day. Don’t be dragged around by your schedule. Don’t let your family be frenzied by the
daunting pace. Instead, spend time with
God, seek Him and allow Him to fill you up and help you run the race He has
called you to. Allow Him to help you
finish strong.
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