The Amazing Race

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great end of triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Great quote given to me by a great friend.  There is not a single word I could add to the quote but rather a simple commentary and encouragement to those reading this. 

When you start something. Anything.  If it is something worth fighting for, it will come with a price to pay.  It will cost you the effort you put forth in the fight for it.  Achievements, goals, victory, lives or love are not things dropped in your lap by happenstance....it is a race, a journey a fight we are all in.  Some, acquiesce before they ever realize they are even in this race while others are apathetic towards the fight in effort to not make waves or cause discomfort for themselves or anyone around them. Still others still are fighting from the time they are born in a life long quest searching for something worth fighting for.  Few identify what we, as people, are truly called to fight for. Eternity and lives weighing in the balance.

So many things can steal our attention, our time and our effort in life.  Some things are worthwhile, while other things pull us away from that which is worthwhile....keeping us occupied until we are old and gray and it is not until we look back and realize we had good intentions on fighting the fight all along but never really engaged in any battle worthwhile.  

I encourage you today to find your fight wherever that is, whatever that looks like and for whoever it is for (A hint? God always calls us to other people...building relationships).  Don't look back but rather forge ahead in what you have been called to do. Find what God has called you in advance to do (Eph. 2:10) and run with it. Will it be hard? Maybe.  Will you stumble, fall or make mistakes?  Yes but get back up. (“God, my God, I yelled for help and you put me together. God, you pulled me out of the grave, gave me another chance at life when I was down-and-out.” Psalm 30:2 The Message). Will it be comfortable?  Probably not. (2 Corinthians 4:17)  Will it be worth your time and effort? I will let you answer that question for yourself with a rhetorical question of my own....is eternity worth it?  Are other lives and their eternity worth it?

Today, do not pull back because you are too afraid of failure or disappointments (we all fall short and at times fall flat on our faces), get up and keep running the race and set out to do what God placed in your heart to do (Hebrews 12:1, 2 Timothy 4:7, Philippians 3:12-14). Do not pull back because you are unsure of what people will say (people will always have something to say...ignore it unless it is encouragement or constructive Galatians 1:10).  Do not pull back because you are too old or too young (1 Timothy 4:12). Too ethnic or not ethnic enough.  Too smart or not smart enough.  Too rich or too poor. (Acts 10:34). Simply put, get out there and fight the fight.  Run the race marked out specifically and uniquely tailored for you and for the people God, through your life, wants to inspire.  You have been chosen for such a time as this ....don't waste your time on regrets, guilt, fear apathy or excuses but rather spend it on all the lives around you worth getting a little messy for in the light of eternity and for His glory.