As we sit in different seasons in our lives, it’s all too easy to want to race ahead. An exciting interview might lead to a better job, which will hopefully pay for a new car, and the car will be perfect for that trip we want to take. Before you even have the interview, it’s possible you’ve already planned all the places you want to see on your trip. But this race we run with the Lord is not about what we want to do; it’s about who we want to be. God does not want us to get ahead of ourselves and commands us not to get ahead of Him.

“Be patient then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” James 5:7-8

My oldest daughter is nine and definitely inherited a desperate need to be on time from my husband. (He was raised in a military household; I was raised in a lenient one.) We live far from school so we know we will spend about 30 minutes in the car before school every day. The traffic is unpredictable, and so are the morning habits of my youngest daughter, which brings great stress to my oldest. This morning, the roads were pretty clear and we were on schedule to be on time. But that was not good enough for my sometimes anxious, mostly responsible nine-year-old.

“Mama, we are going to be late.”

“No, we aren’t honey. Try and relax. Pray your stress away.”

“If only I could have thought ahead. I could have changed all the clocks in school last night! If I had turned them all back ten minutes then we wouldn’t be cutting it so close!”

How many times do we do this to God? We want to reach above His throne to adjust the arms on His sacred clock, to change His plans to fit our immediate needs, to desecrate His Holy timing instead of trusting in it. In good moments or bad, we tend to rush ahead. Oh how He calls us to slow down and submit to Him instead. The track from us to Him is not a rat race, it’s the grace race.

  • When we are tired and lose focus, we know the power of our God to forgive the entire world for their sins with His one and only Son. Knowing our Almighty Father brings us supernatural strength.
  • When we hurt and want to quit, we know our God would not allow pain if it did not lead to freedom. Knowing His plan of redemption is already complete brings us peace that surpasses all understanding.
  • When someone else stumbles beside us, we remember all the times God’s compassion outlived our own mistakes. Knowing His limitless love inspires us to help others in their races, instead of leaving them behind.

God invites us onto the track for a race of grace. It starts with all of us and ends with all of Him. If we, as Christians, are patient, humble, honest, and obedient, we slowly transform into Him along the way. And at the end, we raise our hearts and arms in celebration of God and all His glory, not ours.

 

All for HIS glory,

 

 

 

 

Amanda loves everything Texas and everything Jesus. She squeezes in as much time reading and writing as possible in between raising two precious girls and doing her best to love and respect her firefighter husband. She knows how empty life was without God and is forever grateful for the handful of people who led her to the Lord.

Amanda is one of those extroverted introverts and had to learn how to place God’s armor over the heart on her sleeve. Her desire is for women all over the world to know God adores them so they can return to, and remain in, their intended identity- His.

 

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Begins: February 26th

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Amanda Cunningham

Amanda Cunningham

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