-
"it's not where you've been, it's where you're going. it's not who you were back then, it's who you are at this moment."
what an amazingly powerful and amazingly awesome statement. while jimmy wayne penned this about a real-life personal experience between him and a jail guard...i was reminded of how deeply this truth penetrates.
God tells us through Paul, "you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ...formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now you know God, or are known by God...you were running a good race...my brothers, you were called to be FREE."
there are two outstanding truths in this:
one.
we are FREE to run the race. FREE. that is no one telling us we are fit enough, fast enough, cool enough, olympic material enough (no, you don't have to be m-phelps)...God says that we are new creations, the new has come and the old is gone. it doesn't matter where we were in the race...it matters where we are going. Paul continues later, "not that i have already obtained all of this, or have already been made perfect, but i press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. one thing i do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." for my citizenship is not of this world...but is heavenward. this is where i am going. it doesn't really matter where i've been on this earth.
two.
each day we decide who we will be. i choose whether i will be a runner or sit on the sideline, or even worse...whether i will sidetrack other runners. i must daily decide to care for by body (mind, body, and spirit) in order that i am able to daily awake and run. because it doesn't matter who i used to be-good, bad, or the like...what matters is where my heart is today. will i run? will i focus on where i am going? will i die to self and see where God is leading me and who He is enabling me to be?
how great a reminder. it doesn't matter where i've been or who i was, what matters is where i am going and who i will choose to be today.
may i run the race heavenward with a heart for God and His created peoples.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

...On the Move.

-
Image
Almost five years ago, I moved to this vibrant lil' community in the heart of LA's coastline. At the time, I was fairly uncertain what the hell I was doing in Los Angeles, but extremely excited to live walking distance from the beach and to begin working in a faith-based, grass-roots environment. A lot has changed over the last few years -- a season filled with success and struggle, exploration and rooting, growth and brokenness -- including my sense of certainty. Many people move to LA to find themselves, and discover what they are made of; now I'm as far from industry material as possible, but in a funny way that's exactly what I am taking away from my time here. In a few short weeks, I will pack up my things and move them 500 miles back up the state to begin a new chapter of my journey in Northern California. I am both excited, and terrified. I feel both freedom, and burden. I have both confidence, and uncertainty. "I have learned to kiss...
Read more

Choose Brave

-
Image
B R A V E (defined) adj: ready to face and endure danger or pain; to show courage. verb: to endure, to bear, to withstand unpleasant conditions or behavior. noun: people who are ready to face and endure danger or pain; a warrior. I decided I wanted to write this not because I exude bravery, although I wish I did, but because I live a life frequently consumed with fear. And while it probably seems counter intuitive that a person afraid of everything has anything meaningful to say about bravery, I think the world benefits more from a voice of genuine struggle than unrealistic expectation. That is, I think far too often the majority of people encouraging us to be brave or courageous fail to acknowledge its precursor -- fear. To most people, including myself, fear is an ugly word. It is weakness, and shame. Fear is something we try to hide, or that we attempt to bury. We expend precious energy trying to convince ourselves that we're fearless, and ot...
Read more
-
"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, most gladly, I would rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." I heard this verse a couple weeks ago during a sermon and have wrestled and pondered it since. It logically goes against most ideologies that most people believe. It completely goes against everything I believe, from a humanistic, earthly perspective. I am a highly competitive freak...pounding the life out of the other side is one of the qualities I pride myself in. The idea of being weak, vulnerable, or a 'target' is simply unacceptable. But not in God's eyes; but interestingly, as I began to ponder and wrestle with the idea...God revealed some interesting things about His character, and about weakness vs. power. So, I begin then...what is the power of Christ? What is this power that is gained from weakness? This power that is so desired, that Paul is w...
Read more