Encouragement

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Why do we keep going? Why do we keep trying to move on when we feel like giving up? What is our motivation? So often we find ourselves pushing forwards like in a race. But somewhere for whatever reason in it we feel like we hit a wall, or that the more father we run the father away the finish line looks. What is our motivation to keep us going every day? Why is it that we wake up and pour that cup coffee and just to keep on going on? In a race marathon, triathlon, bike race; whatever kind of race it is what keeps them going? What is their motivation? Their motivation is simply the gold or the prize at the end. So today I came across a great thought. what is it that is our prize? What is our goal in this race were running in? In this journey that were taking the lessons that we have the scars that we have fallen down along the way. What is it that we are going into inherit and get and receive when we cross this finish line? When we are triumphant with victory? We have left the trials and tribulations and sorrows of this world behind. So I looked up the work 'race' in my bible concordance and one verse I thought was motivating is 1 Corinthians 9:24 'Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.'
And I thought 'wow, how perfect a verse for our motivation'. It tells us bluntly there is a prize to win and warns us that everyone (all of us) is in this race. Than I looked up the word 'prize' and found Philippians 3:14I "Press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." This is telling you that the prize is given to us by pressing forward the high calling of God. What's that mean? Well simply put it means the to obtain the prize we need to be obedient of the calling of God. No matter how high of a calling it might be. We have let ourselves focus on the road instead of the prize. We are too busy looking for the holes, mountains, rivers and long deep valleys that we get afraid and tired before we get to the obstacles. Dreading that we gonna fail. But God has already promised us victory. He has already gave us the power over the obstacles, over the trails.
2 Timothy 1:7 tells us "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." He gave us the power!!
But maybe your problem isn't that you are worrying to much of the mountains and trials but you are to worried about the passed. Maybe you fell into a couples ditches, or maybe hit a tree. Someone of us are haunted by the demons in our past that we can't look to a greater future. If you keep looking back all you will do is keep falling.
So where should we be looking to? The prize. We need to look at the victory. Even if you are not there yet, we are promised it. So rejoice that all you have to do is run this race the honest best that you can and in that you will receive the prize. But is the prize? That prize is Heaven, its eternal life. The prize is forever living with our Heavenly Father who loved us so much he died for our sins. No greater love exists than the love Hod has for his children. We are his children.
The Bible speaks to heaven is going to be so amazing more than our imaginations can never fathom all it has. What does that mean to us? Ask yourself the question what is my heaven like?
The Bible says that the sicknesses of the earth will be gone those who are lame, paralyzed and can't walk will be able to run and swim.
Matthew 11:5"The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Ask a child What do they think heaven is like? They will tell you of this magical place that only a kid could come up with. A place where rivers are made of candy and you never have to go to sleep and you play games all day. As crazy as that sounds who wouldn't like that? Who wants to play catch with Jesus? Wants to run with Jesus, to go swimming Jesus? I do.
Yes this race is hard. It's not made to be easy. God never gives us more then we can handle. But even when the things in this life become to much to bare we are left with promises from him that he will help us when we ask him.
In Isaiah 40:31 we read "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." And in John 14:14 it says "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." We are given the power to win this race. Do we want to? Are we gonna push on? Pray on? Fast on? Are we going to run on?
Philippians 2:16 says 'Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.' I wanna rejoice in the day of Christ, and ill be so happy knowing it wasn't in vain.

Hebrews 12:1 says 'Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God'. What a great and profound scripture. . It packs such motivation in 2 little verses. I don't know about you, but I'm gonna run on! I'm claiming my prize now, and I will obtain it... In Jesus Name. ☺

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