I ran cross country in high school and one of the things I remember hearing was “always run through the tape.” By this was meant the sage counsel that you don’t stop or even slow down at the end of a race. As much as is in you, you run even harder and try to, if at all possible, increase speed at the finish.
The reason is simple: the runner behind you is still also in the race, and he is trying to pass you. Dialing back on your effort before the end can cost you points.
Many of us have been in this “race” for a long, long time. Some have known since childhood (as I have) that this was the “terminal generation” and that we would live to see the return of our beloved King. We have also seen a lot of extremely promising “high watch” dates come and go. Many have been tempted (as I have) to dial back and coast. Then the date passes and we’re still here. Opportunities lost.
We are once again in a high watch state. For those who expected a rapture on Rosh Hashana (I did not) there is now the usual period of second-guessing and re-calibration. “Maybe we used the wrong calendar,” some are thinking. Or “maybe the bridegroom has been delayed.” And maybe that’s true.
The point of this post is simple: Don’t quit. That means keep doing everything you can to grow in Christ. Keep praying with confidence. Keep living as a mature Christian is supposed to live. And live aggressively! Don’t let your “walk” become a crawl. Rather, let it be a sprint!
Most Christians have been led to believe that “just getting to heaven” is all that’s important, and that because our destination is God’s gift, we need do nothing. But you can suffer loss, remain spiritually puerile, and spend eternity in Heaven’s Day Care Center. As pointed out previously, Jesus deserves a spiritually mature bride. We still have time to become the companions He deserves.
Grow in grace! Stay anchored in Biblical doctrine so you aren’t among those “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). Have a clear, complete and Biblical idea of what a mature disciple of Christ is like: how he (or she) spends his time, spends his money, treats others, and cleans up after himself, and then be that person. Identify the areas in your life that are strongholds of the enemy, and then overcome those strongholds. It may not be easy, but it’s necessary and by God’s grace (and WITH His grace) it need not take long.
The promise in Revelation 3:10 is for those who persevere.
Persevere!
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