By Mark Maher
The Lord will wrap His arms of love and comfort around those who trust in Him. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
Yes, I’m broken. Yes I’m wounded, but I vow to get back in the race. To get back in the fight. The person you once knew, will not remain the same. This year let’s run our race. “Run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) This year I’ll lay down the wounded me. Lay down. I didn’t come this far to come this far. Now you’ll begin to see the strongest version of the work of God. I’ll even lay your judgment down because it’s a deterrent.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) I’ll come through on the other side more faith-filled than when I began. We are never called to stay stuck, not after God has changed our life. We are to embrace the pain, rather than fight the pain. It’s our fuel for the race.
You’re going to see faith that you may not understand. Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23) Our view is to come from God, so our faith magnifies out like a telescope.
We begin to start seeing a vision. A way out. The light is starting to shine. God’s got plans for us, but we will have to be bold. We will have to be courageous. We will have to throw all caution into the wind. The transformation begins now and it starts with love and God. These are the primary pillars.
Our family is the third pillar, but we have to live life. One of the last pieces of advice Val left was “Mark will always figure it out, I trust him.” I’m beginning to figure it out. God has brought many people into my life and will continue to bring faith filled people. He knows our heart and we have been blessed to be a blessing. At our core, we are to encourage.
The fourth and final pillar is hope. “Our hope is found in the Lord. He comforts and lifts our spirits if we will run to him with our doubts, worries, and fears.” (Psalm 94:19) God’s desire and heart is that “the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
So choose to run with endurance, even when the pain is real, and the fatigue is overwhelming. Because when you navigate the suffering, it leads to resilience and endurance, which build a strength within, and this leads to our ultimate fuel; hope (Romans 5:3-5)
Now you gain something that you just can’t lose; a testimony. Now you know what you know and no one can tell you otherwise. Your faith becomes fortified. So this year run your race so that you build up the endurance. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” (Hebrews 12:1) So run light, lay it down at the altar, and complete the race.
