Many years ago, I fancied myself an athlete, imagine that. Late in high school, I began pursuing distance running as my sport of emphasis. Cross country races in those days were contested over three-mile courses.
Growing up on Florida’s “Space Coast” we had some rather interesting courses. Of note was the Cocoa Beach Invitational, three miles - straight down the beach. The finish line was the massive Canaveral Pier.
Elevated to perhaps 50 feet over the water, and jutting out into the ocean some 300 yards, you could literally see the finish line, from the starting line. The finish line was there in plain sight for all to see, from the start. Not an odd set up for a sprinter, but for a distance runner it posed a perceptive anomaly.
The race: Ready-Set-Bang…! We were off and running. Team-mate, Bryan and I, worked our way into the lead and settled into race pace. It wasn’t long before we had separated from the pack, now competing against each other for first and second.
Like driving past a full moon on a clear night, the pier didn’t seem to move or get any closer as the race progressed. Judgment was clouded by the worldly-illusion. Regardless, knowing Bryan had a superior finishing “kick”, at what I perceived being perhaps ½ mile from the finish, I started pushing the pace in an effort to put myself in position to win the race. Then came that little voice [from Bryan], “Its farther away than you think, don’t start your kick too soon… wait a little bit… you’ve got plenty of time…” and on it went. I listened, hesitated, slowed, and lost the race…
In life we too can see the goal, we prepare ourselves, we pace ourselves, and we prime ourselves for the final push ~ but, then… if we’re not careful and fully committed, Satan (outside diversions) can step in and cloud our spiritual judgment with worldly illusions, planting seeds of doubt, and worse…
If we hesitate, if we fail to act, we too can lose the race. The race to Salvation...
I Corinthians 9:24 – Hebrews 12:1-2
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