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My body ached. My legs felt like a heavy anchor would pull me down, like I might melt into the ground. Could I manage one more step? Could I finish the race I set out to accomplish?
Have you ever run a marathon or enthusiastically begun something daunting without realizing how hard the finish line would be? If so, you intimately know this reality. When the finish line is reachable, our bodies and minds retreat, and the temptation to quit is palpable.
As a Theology student and a mom, I'd wake at 4:00 A.M. every morning to study, type, and engage in online discussions. Most days, I was exhausted as I jumped into full-time mom by 8 A.M. (sometimes earlier). With each semester, I’d get close to the finish line and fall apart a bit (or that’s what it felt like). At each finish line (end of a semester), my husband reminded me one week at a time, one day at a time, and one assignment at a time. That encouragement helped me get through.
Maybe it’s the aching legs or one more test to study for that does us in. We just can’t go one more step. Or maybe it’s the sabotage we are all too familiar with. The moment we get close, so close we can touch the finish line, we are tempted to throw in the towel. The aching legs and burnout are real, but so is self-sabotage when we get close to our dream.
The finish line is Satan's greatest enemy.
We crush the head of the serpent every time we complete the things God places in our hearts. John 10:10 states, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Satan will tempt us in any way he can, often by comparing us to other people. I’ve struggled with questions like, " Why is this so hard for me, yet seems easy for others?” It’s easy to watch people running through a finish line and assume they have extraordinary talent or things are easy for them. They don’t see the million tiny steps, the mindset shifts, or the desperate prayers needed to hang on. Anyone running through a finish line has worked hard.
We must dig deep when crossing the finish line of any significant endeavor. Our training got us to this point, and our desperate prayers and tiny steps will pull us through. We must not give up, allowing Satan to win like we believe he has power. He has no strength with God dwelling in us.
Most days, when training for anything (even making our bed daily), it’s essential to focus on now. Peering into the future too closely can stifle our dreams. Planning for the finish line is okay, but quickly forgetting about it matters, too. I love this reminder from Elisabeth Elliot: “Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will train my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now.”
What is required now might be just one mile for today, one assignment, or making the bed. If the finish line feels daunting, stop looking at that completion mark. God’s got the finish line in his hands. We can trust him to carry us through if he places the timing and desire in our hearts.
With aching legs, I trudged through the finish line. The completion mark felt so good like I was crushing the head of my enemy. What finish lines is God calling you to complete?
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” Psalm 37:23
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