Last week we looked at Hebrews 12 and running with perseverance and endurance.
Heb 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
Run with perseverance the race marked before us.
Perseverance and endurance; living life for the long haul are important characteristics of living life well. We have looked at getting rid of the extra baggage, those things that get in the way and cause us to stumble, the things that hold us back; we looked at wearing the right clothes, putting off the old and dressing with love and kindness etc. And we looked at focusing ahead on what is ahead and not what is behind.
This week we will look at making it through the quit zone.
What is the quit zone?
It’s that place we all get to when we have to push forward, push harder, do those last things and not giving up when it gets hard. In a marathon, the runners go through what they call the quit zone, or the wall; that part of the race towards the end where they think they can’t go any further. But when they push through it, they run better and they finish well.
"There's something about quitting that hurts your spirit. It's demoralizing. I know we're all tired of the humanist mantra, "Believe in yourself!!!" But there comes a time when you have to just stop telling yourself you can't do it. When you give up, when you don't cross the finish line, when you throw in the towel....it's a discouragement that sticks with you. It'll make it harder to keep going next time. Lots harder. And life is not supposed to be easy. Difficulty is part of life. We're all going to face situations that seem impossible. But for me, when I have proved to myself in even just one area of my life (running, for instance) that I can do it, that I can push through it even when the hills are steep, when things are hard...it makes me feel stronger to meet whatever else life will send my way. - See more at: http://runforyourlifefitness.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/persevering.html#sthash.y4wC8Ahc.dpuf
Knowing that it will happen marathon runners prepare for it ahead of time. It helps them be mentally prepared and focused.The quit zone will happen. We have all experienced it. We have all had something that has been hard and we've felt like giving up. we've all had those things that seemed great, that we knew were right, and then stuff happens; it gets hard and we get tired, or it seems like the result we expected is not happening.
What do we do when we get to that zone?
What can we draw on that will help us?
1. Understand the quit zone is normal
Finding things tough and hard is normal. That sense of "it’s all too hard" is normal. It’s normal but it doesn't have to overwhelm us or define us. It only becomes too hard if we give up. Tough times happen. When we are prepared for them, when know they will come, we can be ready for them and realise that they are only a point and a time, a season, they are not the be all and end all of our lives.
Jesus had tough times too. Even as he faced the cross he was saying "God this is hard,but I look to you, to do your will". Instead of being defined by "it’s too hard" we can be defined by "this is tough but it will get better". I believe we need to get rid of the phrase “it’s too hard”, and replace it with “all things are possible”
Philippians 4:12-13
I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Giving up never makes anything better.
Gal 6:9-10
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Heb 12:12-13
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
Don't give up because we will reap a harvest of righteousness etc. (And others are watching and will follow.) This is talking about persevering in our spiritual lives. When we persevere, when we do good, when we don’t give up, there is a reward. Its normal to get to a point where it is hard and going on seems difficult. But remember: The victory is usually just around the corner. As in the Marathon, the toughest part is usually just before the breakthrough, just before the victory.
2. Build Strength
Knowing that these times will come what can we do to build resilience and strength?
Last week we talked about how an athlete prepares well. When we prepare well we build strength. A marathon runner does not wake up one morning and go “I think I will run a marathon today” without doing many months of deliberate training and preparation. When we are deliberate about reading the Word and seeking God, when we are deliberate about our relationship with him, when we choose to get his word into our hearts, we build strength.
Why do some people bounce back better from adversity than others? Or why do some fail under pressure and others don’t? It’s called resilience. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from the things that happen to us. Sometimes stuff happens in life that reduces resilience but the good news is that we can build resilience by focussing on and building on our strengths. By being deliberate in our approach, by making decisions that choose to look at what we can do, rather than what you can’t, we build resilience.
What areas of strength do we have in our lives?
What can we do, what do we have that helps us?
We have the word of God and the promises of God, we have friends and people, we have our own individual strengths, and we can be ahead of the game by the way we prepare. The bible says that what we sow is what we reap.
Galatians 6:7-8
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
Before we get to the tough times we have to learn to sow well. As we build strength into our lives, we can draw on those strengths. Sow into the Word; get it into your life and build on God's promises for you, his promises in his word. Develop a habit of positive attitudes and thinking that draws on the truth of the Word and on who you really are in Jesus. Jesus always with us, Jesus never leaves or forsakes us, God is the same yesterday today and forever.
Heb 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
As we get this stuff into our hearts we can draw on it when it’s tough. Dr Leaf’s strategies of working on areas of thinking and getting rid of toxic thoughts and building healthy thoughts are helpful here. Know what you want to build into your life and thinking and be deliberate about the change; then make a habit of doing it. (www.drleaf.com)
Be deliberate in relationships so that when it’s tough there are others who can help us. When we have support and encouragement, when we build positive relationships with others, there will be people to help us in tough times. Others will believe in us even when we struggle, but we need to develop strong and positive relationships.
What areas of life will you begin to build strength in?
What areas of thinking will you work on?
3. Refocus and apply faith
What was the original vision you had, the original direction, the word from God that you were given? Ask yourself “Why am I doing this”; What is the goal I’m heading to? Go back to it. Get excited about it again. Refocus on the main thing.
The story of Crystal from the No Quit Zone is a great story and a great example of refocussing to achieve goals. Pregnant at the age of 15, Crystal decided that she would not become a statistic; therefore quitting goals she set out to accomplish was not an option. She refocussed, finished her education and now helps others do the same. Stuff happens, but instead of giving up, we can refocus and move forward.
Refocus on what it is/was that you were working towards, regardless of the actual circumstances. Last week we looked at Phil 3, the apostle Paul, and his determination to push forward to reach the prize. Jesus as we mentioned earlier endured because of the joy before him and the final outcome. As we refocus we can take hold of God's promises, apply faith, step out and keep going.
Hebrews 13:5-6
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”
6 So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”
It’s the final outcome that is the key thing here. The immediate situation is never the end. There is always something to look towards. Anything worthwhile takes time and effort. Do a bit of an inventory.
What have we started that we didn’t finish?
What was it that caused us to quit? (a good decision or too hard?)
Is this a pattern or a habit we have developed?
In Nehemiah 4 we see the people of Israel under attack from the enemy. They had set out to build the walls around Jerusalem to strengthen their city and to rebuild their city. It got really hard: there were threats against them and terrible taunts aimed at stopping their work. But what did Nehemiah do? He could have quit, but he knew that was not right. Instead he focussed on the vision, on the goal on what he knew was his God given destiny. He refocused and he helped those with him to refocus. And most importantly, he did not quit. He applied faith to the situation and he kept going. God had called him and God would enable him.
What vision or goal do we need to refocus on?
What habits have we developed that are hindering us?
My Challenge to us all is to refocus and redirect our energies back on to the vision and not the circumstances.
Conclusion
As we run the race set before us, as we understand that the "quit zone" happens and is normal, we can be prepared and develop strategies to push through and to move forward. We can build strength and resilience through looking at the positives and concentrating on those, attacking negative thinking and building healthy thoughts instead. And finally, we can refocus on the original goal and aim, draw on God's promises, apply faith and step into the fulness of what God has for us.
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