I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  2 Timothy 4:7 NIV

If you have ever been in a physical altercation you know that it requires a great deal of physical endurance.  I used to be a long distance runner.  That also required a great deal of physical endurance.  In my job on several occasions I got into physical altercations, I was thankful for the endurance provided by my training.  It was very helpful when I had to stay in a fight. Training my body to run long distances helped when I set out on those 15-20 mile runs.

You know the best thing about being in a fight or running a long distance?  The finish is the best thing.  There is nothing better than finishing that long run and knowing that you have accomplished your goal and knowing that you did what you set out to do.  In the case of a fight, it is a good feeling to know that it is over, especially if you have won.

God calls us to fight the good fight.  He calls us to fight for Him.  He calls us to fight fair and to fight as Christians with love and endurance.  He calls us to stand firm and keep the faith.  As Christians we are called to fight, we are also called to know when the fight is over.

The Bible tells the weary and burdened to come to Jesus and He will give us rest. Whether we are running or fighting, it is tiring.  So when you find yourself battle weary turn to God.  If you are meant to stay in the fight or continue your run, He will give you the strength and endurance to do so.

As Christians, when we fight it looks a little different than when non-Christians fight.  As Christians the Bible tells us to stand firm.  When you know that you are doing what God has called you to do, stand firm.  Also we understand that we are engaged in spiritual warfare.  We are not fighting people, we are fighting the spiritual forces that work through these people.  It’s not personal, the devil wants all Christians to be taken down.  To fight the good fight, we must stay in the word.  We must hear from God by reading his word daily.  We must stay in constant communication with God through prayer.  We must be truthful and we must be righteousness.  We have no room for bitterness and anger.  We must be faithful.  If you know you are fighting for what God has called you to fight for, then you must trust in Him.  Last but not least, you must know when the fight is over and you must know when the time has come to walk away.  We are not assured that we will win every battle, we are just assured that God will be with us.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.

The Bible also tells us to run the good race.  We are told to not run about aimlessly but to run with a purpose and a destination in mind just as runners in a race.  I’ve participated in many races and while I never expected to win because I am a slow runner, I did expect to stay on course and reach my final destination.  As Christians, staying on course is very important.  God sets out certain tasks for us to accomplish and we are not to lose sight of what He calls us to do.  It should never be about our will or what makes us comfortable.  It should be about what God wants, not about what we want.  As you run this race, know that God makes every step with you.

Most importantly is keeping the faith.  When we stand and fight, we are never promised victory.  When we run a race, we are never promised that we will cross the finish line first.  We are instructed to do what God calls us to do.  Sometimes we have no idea why God calls us to do these things, but we must be in His will.  We must know that we are fighting the good fight and running a good race.  And all the while, we must keep the faith.  We must maintain a close relationship with God and trust in Him to take care of us as we go.

If you are keeping the faith and running or fighting, you know when the fight is over or the run is finished.  You certainly wouldn’t stay in the fight if the other person had stopped fighting.  You certainly wouldn’t continue to run another mile or two after you crossed the finish line.  Stay close to God and let Him lead.  You have often heard of the fight or flight scenario.  It’s that very brief, usually 1-2 seconds of time when a person is deciding whether it is best to fight the person that is threatening them or to run from them.  God will let us know which we are supposed to do and He will also let us know when it is done.  So if you are involved in spiritual warfare and you are trying to decide which is best for you, trust that decision to God.  If you have been involved in a long running battle of spiritual warfare, know when it is time to step away.

It is my prayer for you today that if you are battle weary, that you are nearing a place of rest.  In whatever we do, we should let God do the choosing.  I don’t know about you, but I tend to get into trouble when I try to figure out too much stuff on my own.

Have a great day!