Win the Race Against Discouragement

"Did you ever notice," said the old lady, smiling into the troubled face before her, "that when the Lord told the discouraged fishermen to cast their nets again, it was right in the same old place where they had caught nothing?

If we could only get off to some new place when we get discouraged, trying again would be an easier thing. If we could be somebody else, or go somewhere else, or do something else, it might not be so hard to have fresh faith and courage; but it is the same old net in the same old pond for most of us.

The old temptations are to be overcome, the old faults are to be conquered, the old trials and discouragements before which we failed yesterday to be faced again today. We must win success where we are, if we win it at all, and it is the Master Himself, who, after all these toilful, disheartening failures, bids us `try again.'  -Sunday School Times.

None of us is unfamiliar with discouragement. It's something that we all live with from time to time. As human beings, we are quite vulnerable to the pressures and burdens of life; allowing them to overwhelm us and cause hopelessness.

Even the great preacher Charles Spurgeon struggled with with discouragement. He said, "Discouragement … creeps over my heart and makes me go with heaviness to my work.… It is dreadfully weakening."

I enjoy running for excercise. Besides being good for my physical health, it also allows me the chance to clear my mind, and communicate with God. Whenever I find myself feeling discouraged I go for a run, and have a good long talk with God. By the time I'm finished I feel refreshed mentally, physically, and spiritually!

Maybe that's why Hebrews 12:1-3 speaks to me so loudly. There's a real connection there between running a long distance race. In this case, running a long distance, spiritual race. Let's see how this applies to our own lives.

Realistically speaking, no one wakes up one morning and decides to run a marathon that day. A marathon is the kind of race that requires lots of preparation. But, so does the spiritual race! If we're going to run a good race, then we have to prepare accordingly.

Anything that would restrict us from running well needs to be put aside. For example, runners will wear light weight clothing so that they might run faster and farther. They also train hard in order to get lean and light so that they can win their race. Can you even imagine a world-class athlete running a race in an big, heavy overcoat? Of course not! They shed everything they can in order to run without any restrictions.

What a great lesson this is for the Christian runner. Anything that has more of you than Jesus does has to go if you're going to run well! Whatever has your time, your attention, your resources, your strength, etc; just think of it as extra weight in your life. It has to be cast off if you're going to run well. If it isn't dealt with, if you put it off for the future, it will cause discouragement.

Likewise, we're told in this passage (Hebrews 12:1-3) that those besetting sins or any sin that seems to (or at least attempts to) overtake us on a regular basis, needs to be taken care of. Actually, did you know that you will still sin after you get saved? That's right, you will still sin! In fact, one of the biggest shocks of the Christian life is how easily you can sin after you have been saved!

We all know how that thought will still grow into lust. That word may still slip out every now and then. Your anger may flare up out of control now and them. Even your attitude might get lousy from time to time. Being saved doesn't prevent you from sinning, but your sinning does prevent you from running your race well. We are surrounded by things, and situations that can cause us to sin!

That's why we it's so imperative that we: remove ourselves from their presence, get away from places where they can take place, and guard ourselves against their attack. We must get radical and honest about the sins that afflict us as believers.

You will find that God will give you victory over the things that hinder your race. Don't let the obstacles of life, and the entrapments of sin cause you to become discouraged in your race for Jesus. Run with endurance and keep your eyes fixed on Him.

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 3:5-6; Joshua 1:9; 1 Peter 5:7; Romans 15:13

Prayer: Dear Lord, even though I may be discouraged today, I will continue to run the spiritual race with my head straight and my eyes focused on you at the finish line of life. I know it's not a race to see who finishes first, but to finish the race suitable and available to be with You. Amen

God bless you!

Miranda