Saturday, February 16, 2019

When You Think You Can't Go Any Further, God Will Provide A Second Wind

When I was in the Army, we would do a lot of physical exercise as a unit.  I can remember with one particular unit in the Aviation Squadron of 3rd Armored Cavalry in El Paso, Texas,  I had a squadron commander that trained us for war.  Not just physically, but mentally.  We had a saying “you fight the way you train”.  Well, in one case he used our physical training to help us with mental toughness.  We were used to running a particular route.  Early in the morning – 5:30 early – we called it O-dark thirty. We knew the landmarks for our 3 to 4 mile run.  We knew when we were half way and we knew when we were at the finish.  By then, we were ready to hear “Quick time – march”, which in civilian vernacular means – stop running and start walking or marching. Well, one day we got to the “finish line”, but we kept running.  

We were always exhausted by the time we got to that point. You were mentally prepared to stop, but he kept running.  You are already thinking the run is over, and I am thrilled we are at the finish line – but the squadron commander kept us running right past the point where we thought we could not go on!  We ran for another half mile or so.  What was the commander’s point?  We can do more than we think we can.  War is very demanding on the body and the mind.  You must be able to go beyond yourself. 

God will call you to go beyond yourself ... to do what you thought you could not do … to bear what you thought you could not bear. How? God will not tell you to suck it up through pure determination. He has provided you with a second wind. 

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

Such is your life of faith.  When you are facing life head on.  When you have run past the place where you thought that was “as far as you could go” or “as much as you could take.” When your heart was broken.  When your dreams are shattered. Like the Apostle Paul, in the face of his great personal trials, he had gone beyond himself many times, running on the fumes of faith – Spirit power, and not his own determination and wisdom. 

Not falling out of the run requires discipline and faith.  In our runs in the Army, there were always people who would fall out, who could not go on, who lost heart and confidence.  They fell by the wayside.  The same way with Christians.  I am not talking about loss of salvation.  The people I mentioned were still in the Army, they needed more physical training so they could serve in the manner that was expected of them.  And so it is with us as Christians.  There are many who don’t have the faith to keep up with where God wants to take them.  They need more training ... more confidence ... more encouragement ... more faith. 

I remember taking a PT test in the Armor Officer Basic Course.  That test is something you had to pass to be successful in the course.  Well, a friend of mine stopped running during the two mile run.  He had a look of pain and exhaustion on his face.  I stopped too so I could encourage him to finish.  The evaluators called out to me and told me to keep going and leave him behind.  I could not and would not.  He finished ... passed, barely.  But he passed.  So did I, but helping him cost me something, I knew that when I stopped to help him. 

 No greater love has one man than this, to lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13 

I am not bragging, I am making a point.  Not only do you need faith to persevere, but we need each other. We are supposed to encourage one another to love and good works. 

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:24-25  

Some need more encouragement than others. Who do you know that needs to be encouraged in their faith .. to continue to run and not fall out .. even when they think they can’t go on?  They need to know that even though they feel like they are alone, they are not.  Come alongside them and help them. You may not need to do something, but you may just need to be something – a friend. Understand that it will cost you something.  Be willing to pay the price and bring glory to God.

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