Don't Play Follow the Leader - Run Your Own Race

Hebrews 12: 1-3

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Spending your life playing "Follow the Leader" is no way to live. Trust me... I know.

I was Julia Roberts in that movie "Runaway Bride" - not knowing how she liked her eggs cause she changed every time she was engaged to someone else. Then, in the end, when she took time to see which ones she liked, she discovers it was eggs benedict (which I say "yuk" to). She wasted a lot of her life chasing a dream of her own, but doing so undercover.

Years and years have been spent in this life God gave me trying to figure out who I was. With each step in the wrong direction, I found myself further and further away from who God created me to be. My first mistake was not knowing who THAT was in the first place! I took off from the starting line and ran for my life - before I knew where to go. I couldn't see the finish line cause I was too busy trying to jump into the lanes of others and following them as fast as I could. I had no idea where I was going, where the finish line was, or why I was running.

When you start to seek something before you know why you are seeking it, you will find yourself where I was for years. The struggle of not knowing, living in fear, confusion, and having no identity - it is real. The struggle is real y'all! 

I am almost 50, yea I know - I look 21 - LOL, and I can say that it was only a few short years ago that I discovered the direction I was supposed to be running - AND - I knew WHERE I was running. I saw the finish line and I knew which lane to stay in. The confidence, the strength, the endurance, the excitement... it is all there! I have seen what God wants of me and I will not stop until I meet my Abba at the Championship Circle!

Where are you running? Why are you running? Which lane are you in? 

If you are running a race blindly, STOP. Don't take another step without knowing WHY, WHERE, and HOW! This life you have is the only one you will get here on earth. You have 1 shot to win this race on earth! Make sure you are competing in the right race and you are in the lane God wants you in! Otherwise - you will just keep running and not know where you are heading. You won't be running YOUR race. You will reach "an end", but it won't be the Championship Circle!

I am running the race God wants me in. I KNOW this! Sometimes my eyes wonder to the other lanes, but I have learned to STOP and relook at where GOD wants me. I stay in my lane. I keep my eyes fixed on HIM. I run with endurance (not always with style). I not only see the finish line - I see the Championship Circle! The trophy is near! 

Run YOUR race

Stay in YOUR lane

Keep your eyes focused on the Championship Circle, not just the finish line.

Waiting is not my strong suit....

How many of you are with me on this? Waiting. Being patient. Not exactly something you like to do - or can do easily. That is me. 

Especially in times of trials and when everything seems to be falling apart. How can we "just wait" in those times? How do we learn to be patient and have faith? 

Psalm27 

This is a very powerful Psalm and there is SO MUCH in here to learn. David ends this Psalm with "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart  and wait for the Lord." But what does he say before this? David begins by stating "the Lord is my Light; stronghold". He begins with this declaration and ends with an answer. What is in the middle?

"When the wicked advance, the army besiege me, when war breaks out....my enemies will fall, my heart will not fear, I will be confident" Can you say the same? Can you be confident and keep your heart from fear when everything seems to be attacking you? David says he will remain confident in the Lord, even then. He is under attack and still remains confident that the Lord will rescue him. How can David be so confident? 

When I am under attack and when things are falling apart in my life, I definitely am not confident - sad truth. My first response is, "What am I going to do?" "How will I get through this?" It is not the way David responds here in this Psalm. I can learn a lot from David's confidence here!! Where does he get this confidence? How can he "just wait"?

Psalm 27:8 "My heart says to you, "Seek His face!" 

What does your heart say? 

David's heart seeks the face of God. His heart is focused on God. He asks for God to "teach him His ways" and "lead him on His path". THAT is how he can remain so confident in the Lord when he is under attack! David seeks God's will and his heart is focused on God.

Scripture tells us over and over to guard our hearts. To keep The Word of God on our hearts. David shows us here what happens when we do. Our confidence will be in the Lord. We will be able to remain confident in times of trouble.

David speaks of his mother and father forsaking him. Even when those who are closest to us forsake us, even then we should be confident in the Lord. Others will break our hearts, mislead us, and maybe even do us wrong. It is not always just our enemies that attack us. We need to be sure to guard our hearts at all times and seek The One who will NEVER forsake us.

Guard your hearts. Seek His face! Only then will you be able to wait on the Lord!

 Let's Get Real

Let's talk about something no one wants to admit...

Ok, I will just say it...

"Sometimes I get lost in the darkness....and....I don't feel like fighting my way out"

It is easy for us to share to good. We share the joy, laughter, and all the good that goes on in our homes and in our lives. We pretend that all is well. That's easy. Pretending is easy.

What isn't easy...

Being Real!!

My life isn't always rainbows and bunnies. I have days of incontrollable crying. I have sleepless nights because of the nightmares. Sometimes, at the end of the day, I just want to curl into a ball and shut down. Some days, I can't get out of bed and I don't know why. I allow fear to take over my thoughts. I allow evil inside my soul. I allow sin in my life. I allow the lies to become truth. I allow the darkness to win.

That is REAL!

Darkness is real folks and the second you ignore it and try to pretend it doesn't exist - that is when it gets you! That is when it defeats you!

If there is a Heaven - then there is a Hell! Reality folks!!

God is in control (can I get an AMEN)! This is truth! God is my Master and King! He is THE ONLY ONE I SERVE! God's will is all that I desire! Learning His Truth and leaning on His Word - THAT saves me!

But as REAL as all that is and as TRUTH as all that is - So is the fact that if I think for 1 second the darkness cannot reach me - I FALL!

So how do we defeat the darkness?

Easy

WE don't!!! We can't!!

Only GOD CAN!! In fact - HE ALREADY DID!

So, do I give up? Do I give in. Do I say, "ok, fine then. I won't do anything" NO!!!! 

You Pray to Your King! You KNEEL before THE ONE who can save you! You raise your hands and PRAISE HIS NAME ABOVE ALL! You LET THE LIGHT IN!!

Pretending to live in the light does not work! Sugar coating the sin does not work! Acting as though the darkness isn't there does not work! Closing your eyes and believing that "I'm ok" - does not work!

Admit that darkness is real. Don't give it power - just admit it is real. Then...STAND FIRM ON THE BELIEF THAT THIS VERY DARKNESS YOU ARE FACING HAS ALREADY BEEN DEFEATED!!! It has NO power over you!!

"I see you darkness. I hear you. I know you are there. BUT - MY GOD is BIGGER, STRONGER, WISER, AND MORE EQUIPPED THAN YOU WILL EVER BE!! OH, AND BY THE WAY....MY GOD ALREADY DEFEATED YOU - SO BUZZ OFF"!!! 

Don't pretend. Be real. Expose yourself to your Creator - He already knows your pain my friend! Stretch out your arms and reach for your Father in Heaven! Be real in your acknowledgement of the darkness but be FIRM in the fact that GOD WILL BRING YOU INTO THE LIGHT.

Sin lies

Sin hides

Sin kills

Sin is the darkness that creeps around this earth waiting to devour it's prey. 

STAND FIRM IN THE LIGHT THAT HAS ALREADY DEFEATED THAT DARKNESS!!!

 God Does Not Show up... We Wake Up!

So often, we find ourselves in the midst of trials and temptations that are out of our control. We won't admit it, but they are. We do everything we can to control the wheel, change lanes, drive faster, change vehicles - but none of this will change what has already been planned ahead before we ever met those trials and temptations. The only thing we can change is the road we end up taking through them.

Going through hard times alone is never what God intended for us. He never wanted us to be left alone in this world because He knew what the world would become. Folks - nothing is new to God! I heard in a women's Bible Study one time that God doesn't sit up there in Heaven and one day say "Oh well look at that! Didn't see THAT one coming!" He Knows ALL - BEFORE it happens.

Now we can get into a discussion on "Well why does He allow bad things to happen then?" But that is not for this post. Will gladly talk about that another time.

No - this post is about the fact that IN those trials and temptations - we are NEVER alone! We may feel as though we are, but we are not. 

John 16:33 "I have told you these things so you may have peace in Me. In the world you will have much trouble. But take hope! I have power over the world!” 

I have slept through many trials and temptations of my own. In that I mean, I went through them with my eyes closed and my mind asleep to the fact that there may be a better way. I was busy in my own anger, shame, sorrow, or whatever Satan was making me feel to notice who was with me. I had my eyes closed to what God was trying to show me. Because of this, many times I stayed in those trials and I failed at the temptations because I refused to open my eyes and wake up! I was too busy whining about the trouble I was in to see the way out.

Walking blindly in this world can be deadly! It can cause more trials than God intended for you. It can cause us to fall to temptations when God wants to protect us. You see, God gives us FREE WILL. Freedom to choose to listen and follow Him, or not. He does this because He does not need us to answer His call or listen to Him. He does not need our help in anything. (that was a hard one for me - still learning to shut up when He is trying to help me) God does not need us - He WANTS us. He wants us to show that WE NEED HIM.  He won't force us onto the right roads. He won't grab the wheel from us. He won't make us turn His way. Now, because He loves us He is patient and merciful and desires for us to turn to His ways. But He won't force us. So you can choose to walk around asleep in this world and chance your outcome OR you can choose to WAKE UP and see that God is right there with you, guiding you, protecting you, and loving you. 

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not told you? Be strong and have strength of heart! Do not be afraid or lose faith. For the Lord your God is with you anywhere you go.” 

Deuteronomy 31:6 "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Isaiah 41:10 "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."