7.2-Is life a sprint or a marathon?
7.2-
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the [d]gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that this will turn out for my [q]deliverance through your [r]prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
Is life a sprint or a marathon?
Life is a sprint.
Life is a marathon.
The marathon is getting up every morning and putting one leg
in front of another. Then there are
special days. When there is a major
event of high intensity and needed focus.
It is these 100 meter dashes that allow one to find positive movement
and growth in the midst of a bad situation.
In these moments what is considered bad by average people is
considered fuel for growth by the strong hearted people. They see mourning times as moments of giving
and receiving comfort. When hunger comes
it is a driving force for new work or new methods. Moments of being rejected or insulted become
times of joy at being able to be a shock absorber for other members of the team
not having to be hurt or burdened.
Stars shine brighter on dark nights. The rock stars in my world stay humble and
don’t grumble. I learn most from those
who run the race of life with a focus on the things that matter.
One thing is for sure.
It’s a race.
Hebrews 12.
12 Therefore,
since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay
aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 [a]fixing our eyes on Jesus, the [b]author and perfecter of faith, who for the
joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him
who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not
grow weary [c]and lose heart.
Matthew 5.
3 “[b]Blessed are the [c]poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the [d]gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Philippians 1.
12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that
my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,
13 so that my [i]imprisonment in the cause of Christ
has become well known throughout the whole [j]praetorian guard and to everyone else,
14 and that most of the
[k]brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my
[l]imprisonment, have far more courage to speak
the word of God without fear. 15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even [m]from envy and strife, but some also [n]from good will; 16 the latter do it
out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;
17 the former proclaim
Christ out of selfish ambition [o]rather than from pure motives, thinking to
cause me distress in my [p]imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in
every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I
rejoice.Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that this will turn out for my [q]deliverance through your [r]prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
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