Embrace the spirit of perseverance and determination.
In 1968 Tanzanian John Akhwari competed in the Olympic marathon. He cramped up early in the race, fell and dislocated his knee, injured his shoulder and suffered severe cuts. In spite of that, he finished.
John Akhwari’s words resonate deeply: ‘My country sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race, not start the race.’
Life’s journey is like a marathon, and success comes to those who stay committed till the end. When you feel the weight of challenges, remember why you started and who’s counting on you.
It’s not about simply beginning; it’s about crossing the finish line despite the odds. Each step you take, no matter how difficult, brings you closer to victory.
Your dreams, goals, and aspirations deserve the dedication to see them through. So, dig deep, find that extra burst of energy, and keep going.
You have the strength within you to finish strong and make your journey worthwhile. Finish.
I’m cheering for you.
Questions to Ponder and Pursue
1. How can the John Akhwari story inspire you to persevere through your own personal and professional challenges?
2. In what ways can reflecting on the reasons we started a journey help you stay committed and motivated to reach the finish line?
Keep The Faith
Embrace the spirit of perseverance and strength, just as Paul did in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
As followers of Christ, we face various trials and challenges. Yet, in these moments, our strength is found in Him.
Paul’s words remind us that enduring faith and resilience are essential to our spiritual journey. The obstacles may seem overwhelming, but remember that our strength comes from Christ.
Reflect on why you began this journey of faith and who you are living for. Each step, no matter how difficult, is a testament to your commitment and belief.
Dig deep, keep the faith, and find that inner strength to remain steadfast. Your journey, grounded in Christ, is worthwhile.
Finish strong, knowing that your perseverance is a powerful witness to the enduring love and strength found in Him and Him alone.
Be Blessed!
Questions to Ponder andPursue
1. How can Paul’s example of fighting the good fight and keeping the faith encourage you to remain strong and resilient in your own spiritual journey?
2. In what practical ways can you draw upon your faith in Christ to overcome obstacles and challenges in your daily life?
Do you believe that you could help the people that you are around every day?
Your family? Your friends? Your workplace? The person you pass in the grocery store aisle? The waiter at the restaurant?
You’re just one person but you have an opportunity to make a difference every day with many different people.
Some you know well and spend countless hours with. Some you are around for a few minutes or hours during the day. Some you have a one time opportunity or moment to make a difference.
You don’t have to be perfect with the opportunities that come your way but it is important that you try to make a difference in the world around you.
If we all try to do that the ripple effect of the results could be amazing but it starts with you and me. I’m willing. How about you?
“Even On Your Worst Day, You Can Be A Student’s Best Hope” is the title of a book written by Manny Scott. It is also a great reminder for you and me.
Even if you are not an educator you have an opportunity to be someone’s best hope today.
A kind word. A smile. A good deed.
Even if your day turns sideways stay strong and be prepared to serve someone who needs some help.
When you’re feeling down, feeling tired, and feel like you just want to get the day over with, one of the quickest and best ways to regain some positive energy is to help somebody else.
Stay strong. You are someone’s best hope and inspiration today. You are a difference maker.
Believe it, and live today with more than a purpose to just survive it. Someone needs you to stay strong and they will be better because of it. You will be too.
I’m cheering for you.
Questions to Ponder and Pursue
1. How can simple actions like a kind word or a smile significantly impact someone’s day, even when you’re not feeling your best?
2. In what ways can helping others serve as a source of positive energy and resilience for yourself?
Finding Strength In Weakness To Serve Others
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV [9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in our weakness.
When we face hardships, insults, and difficulties, it is an opportunity for Christ’s power to shine through us.
As Christ followers, we don’t have to rely on our own strength. Instead, we can embrace our weaknesses, knowing that they make room for God’s strength.
When we feel inadequate or overwhelmed, let’s remember that Christ’s power rests on us. This divine strength enables us to serve others with love and compassion, even when we feel weak.
Our struggles become testimonies of God’s grace and power, encouraging others to lean on Him as well.
So, delight in your weaknesses, for they are the very moments when God’s strength becomes evident.
Trust in His grace, and let His power flow through you to serve and uplift those around you.
Be Blessed!
Questions to Ponder and Pursue
1. How can embracing your weaknesses allow God’s strength to work through you to serve others more effectively? 2. In what ways can your personal struggles and challenges become a source of encouragement and support for those around you?
Today, I want to continue a thought about Monday’s moment that I shared yesterday.
Have you ever thought that what you do, where you do it, the relationships you have, and the moments that present themselves can all work together and even be “divine, pre-ordained moments? I have, and I do believe it.
As a Christ follower I believe that God has given gifts to each of us that can be used to build up each other and the church. (I Cor. 12: 4-7)
I believe we are called to continue to grow our gifts and be excellent in what we do for the glory of God and to let those talents be used by him, in His divine timing.
Several years ago I sang at a funeral towards the end of my tenure at a school I was serving. After the service the wife of the man who had passed away said “God brought you here, and kept you here for this moment”.
Wow! Humbling. Powerful. Thought provoking. Could it be that I wasn’t there for the work, the championships, or the experience?
Was I brought there to that church, with that small group, and develop those relationships to minister to the family in their time of need? Everything prepared and working together for that one moment?
Monday’s sharing of a writing that I wrote last week? Yes, it fit into the book, but did I have those thoughts, write those words, with that scripture passage just for the book?
Did God know that they would be needed to be shared with someone as an encouragement a few days later? He certainly can, and He did.
Every talent and gift that you have is just that. A gift. A gift to be used for good, and if you commit to using it for God it is amazing what He will do with it, and the time that He will use it.
Continue to develop and fine tune your gifts, then let them be used in moments that are divine and ordained by God.
God often shows up in the small moments and he wants us to be available and do so as well.
Made For This Moment 