Finish Strong

At my Church right now we're studying The Story. It's the NIV Bible in chronological order and it's to learn our part in God's story. It's pretty amazing to see how God's plan has traveled down from the Old Testament, the New Testament to even now with us. On Wednesday night we talked about Solomon. How King David appointed him as the new king once David died and how David told Solomon how to live. He told him how to be successful. Even when God came to Solomon in a dream Solomon asked for wisdom above all else. Wisdom to know how to run a kingdom for God. King Solomon started strong. He started on fire for God and ready to do the Lord's business.

He didn't finish so strong though did he. He got caught up in all his wives and all his bling and he started worshiping idols instead of worshiping God.

I think we can do this in our lives too. And not just in our lives but in our day to day activities too. I have a temper. I can go from zero to MAD in 30 seconds. Try as I might, I can't get it under control, but God with His grace and His power in my weakness is still working on me every day. I start out strong, I have my quiet time. I ask God to help me see Him during the day. I tell Him I want to serve Him on this day and then I leave my safe bedroom and enter the real world. I enter my life and all the trouble that comes with it. My son has a HUGE attitude. He's 2 and every time I tell him to do something he says no and beats his chest..yes BEATS his chest like he's the king of the castle and I'm his slave, it makes me SOOOO mad!!! But I shouldn't let it, his attitude should not affect my attitude. By the end of the day I'm frazzled, tired and wishing for 7:00 to come quick so the kids can go to bed. Granted this isn't an every day thing but it's more often than I like to admit.

You see, being this kind of mom, the worn out frazzled angry mom is NOT who I want to be and it is NOT finishing strong the race God has set before me for that day. It does no good for my family to get the tired worn out me and for God to get the sweet, loving prayerful me. God wants our whole hearts and that includes serving our families.

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. Heb 12:1

This scripture doesn't just mean our life race, the end of the finish line coming when we're old and grey with grandkids running around. This scripture is the race of every day. From the time your head lifts off your pillow until your head hits the pillow at night you are in a race. Run with endurance, run with perseverance run the race God has laid out for you. Run the race for your family. Finish strong for the day, finish full of God. Finish full of love.

If you fall, get back up. Apologize and keep going. We are here for you. If you feel like you can't take another step, we want to hear from  you. We want to pray for you. Finish strong so at the end of the day we can lay our heads down, look up to God and say thank You Father, we did it.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6:2 How can I pray for you today? How can I lift you up to help you finish your race strong today? I'm right there with you sister, running my race as you run yours. Lets run together shall we?