A human can sprint as hard as they can for about 80 meters. After that EVERYONE slows down slightly, and some of the most elite athletes can almost sprint for about 400m, but even they slow down at about 80m. We just can’t give it our all forever. Paul speaks of running a marathon and not giving up, about running as hard as you can, about living like every day is your last. I get the sentiment behind that, unfortunately some read that and have a great burden placed on them. When they are only jogging or walking or even if they stop to take a break, they might feel like they are failing God. They should be sprinting right, and never stopping right? And they should feel bad for not sprinting all the way right? NO!
When we are running, it means we have a desire to finish at some point. If you run a marathon if you were to say that you walked for 30 seconds after every mile and sat down for every 5 miles for 5 min. If you ran the 26 miles, you still finished! To try your best, means you have the intention of finishing and you refuse to quit. The second you walk off that course, you quit. If you have someone bring food and water on the course and you sleep on the track, you mind and intent is still that you want to finish. And you might never finish, BUT, you never stopped, your intent was always to at some point, to finish. This is why I hate divorce so much and I believe why God hates it. Even if you were to separate, to not see that person for months or years. If you do not divorce or pursue a different person, you are still in the race, you are still married, joined together by God. It is only when you divorce that you have given up, you have walked off the course/track.
God wants us to desire to honor Him, to keep running that race. THAT is trying your hardest. You physically cannot try your hardest, as no man can sprint more than 80m let alone 26 miles. So don’t beat yourself up for resting, for walking in the race, maybe that is your best. Now God could give you supernatural powers to sprint for 50 miles or run faster than any human can for 1000 of miles. He is the Creator of everything He can do what He wants. But unless He is obviously intervening, then we have limits. Don’t compare yourself to others. The guy who can sprint only 10 meters is not a failure or valued less by God than the one who can sprint for 80 meters. He creates us all different, and values us all! He just wants you to keep going, to not quit, to ask Him to help you. A parent doesn’t dislike their 3 year old because they can’t do high level calculus like their 40 year old child who can that has 3 doctorates in high level math and physics. That 3 year old might even grow up to be even smarter than the 40 year old. But there aren’t there now. God wants us where we are, He wants us to grow, to keep running, running our hardest, to not give up, to ask Him to help, to not feel guilty that we can’t or aren’t running harder than we are, or harder than anyone else, to be prideful that we are faster than anyone else. If we are faster, it is only because God wants us to be and because He made us to be. If we end up at age 60 and still can barely do basic multiplication tables, are we a disappointment to God? If that is what He designed us to do, and we do that best for Him, that is EXACTLY what He wants us to do and maximizes glory for Him. Yes running slower to God’s glory actually gives Him more glory than one who could run faster and looks down on those who run slow or thinks highly of themselves because of how fast they are.
If you read all this as an excuse to be mediocre and “still go to heaven”, then you completely missed the point. Like when Paul says that “should we keep sinning to maximize the mercy of Jesus?” NO! This isn’t a game, you can’t, nor need to manipulate or trick God, to say a few words or believe some words and get rewarded. You simply see the truth of God, have His light and truth and love live inside you. Ask for His help, humble yourself, realize that all you have is from Him and He serves all glory for anything good you do, and try your best. If you happen to be slower than others and appear mediocre to others, it is ok. Not just OK, but glorifies the Father when you do it for Him! It is glorious that some of you (me) are much slower than others. Because it is doing what you are designed/created to do, and to Him belongs all glory, forever and ever, AMEN!
Seeking God 