Go! Fight! Win!

Posted On July 25, 2021

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

“Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15 MSG

We all need a cheerleader sometimes. We all need to be encouraged to keep going and to keep fighting, especially if we feel like we’ve gotten off track. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve made a complete mess of things or that you’re a huge disappointment to God, then you’re not alone. I think we’ve all felt this way. That’s part of being human. We mess up . . . a lot! But here’s the good news: God already knows that. That’s why He sent Christ to save us. That’s why He sent the Holy Spirit to live in us. And that’s why He gave us His Church to support us. God wants us to encourage each other and help each other along on our journey of faith.

God knows we can’t do this on our own. He will lead us, and He will help us, but we have to be willing to let Him. If you are reading this, then you are already taking a step in His direction. So, good job! Celebrate the fact that you are seeking Him and that you are special in His sight. You are His unique, beloved child, and He’s got work for you to do. So go! You can do it!

“You have one. A divine spark. An uncommon call to an uncommon life. ‘The Spirit has give each of us a special way of serving others’ (1 Cor. 12:7 CEV). So much for the excuse ‘I don’t have anything to offer.’ . . . Don’t worry about skills you don’t have. Don’t covet strengths others do have. Just extract your uniqueness. ‘Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you’ (2 Tim. 1:6 NASB). And do so to . . . make a big deal out of God.”

Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life

“Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

We all have a race to run. God has a plan for each one of us, a plan that He designed long before we were even born. He knows every detail of our lives and every decision we will ever make, and He took all of that into account. This means that He not only forgives our mistakes when we come to Him in humble repentance, but He actually works them into His plan and makes something good come from them: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV). I don’t know about you, but I find this extremely reassuring! We never have to worry that we’ve messed up too much to be used by God.

“God’s purpose took into account human error, and even sin. God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything he creates. Every plant and every animal was planned by God, and every person was designed with a purpose in mind. . . . We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives.”

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

God has already forgiven us for every one of our sins. He doesn’t focus on our mistakes, so He doesn’t want us to focus on them either. Instead, He wants us to focus on Him. He wants us to accept the forgiveness that He freely offers us, and He wants us to turn to Him whenever we stumble and fall. He doesn’t expect perfection, but He does expect us to keep coming to Him for help. When we do, we won’t hear Him scolding us. We’ll hear Him cheering us on. He’ll help us up, get us back on track, and give us whatever we need to keep moving in the right direction. So fight! Press on, even if you think you don’t have the strength to keep moving. If you’re too worn out to continue, He’ll pick you up and carry you.

“To accept grace is to admit failure, a step we are hesitant to take. We opt to impress God with how good we are rather than confessing how great he is. We dizzy ourselves with doctrine. Burden ourselves with rules. Think that God will smile on our efforts. He doesn’t. God’s smile is not for the healthy hiker who boasts that he made the journey alone. It is, instead, for the crippled leper who begs God for a back on which to ride.”

Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment

“A multitude of God’s children is urging us on. Like spectators in the stands, a ‘crowd of witnesses’ applauds from the heavens, calling on us to finish strong.”

Max Lucado, Happy Today

Those who have run the race before us are watching from heaven and cheering us on. They want us to win the “crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV). On our own, this would be impossible. But as Christians, we have the Spirit of Christ living in us. He gives us the strength and the power we need to finish the race. And He gives us the gift of each other. As Christians, we are called to help each other and pray for each other. We are all going to stumble and fall. Let’s help each other up and finish this race together. When we’re feeling discouraged and think we can’t take another step, it may just take the sound of one supportive voice to spur us on to victory. So let’s never stop cheering for each other: Go! Fight! Win!

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NLT

This week’s Scripture passages encourage us to run the race before us, fight the good fight, and win the crown of life. Thankfully, we’re not in this alone. We have cheeleaders on earth, and in heaven, inspiring us to persevere. We can do this!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

Hebrews 12:1 NLT

References:

• Lucado, Max. Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot. W Publishing Group, 2005.
• Lucado, Max. Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. J. Countryman, 2000.
• Lucado, Max. Happy Today: A Guided Journal to Genuine Joy. Thomas Nelson, 2019.
• Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Zondervan, 2002.

Images:

• Cheerleader Featured image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay (edited by me)
• Track image by Remaztered Studio from Pixabay
• Cheerleaders image by kbrady from Pixabay (edited by me)
• Cheering Crowd image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay (edited by me)
• Highway Runner image by kinkate from Pixabay (edited by me)