Battling Through Obstacles

It was mile 11.1.  Exactly two to go. And quite frankly, I didn’t want to go anymore.  I had battled through an injury training for this half marathon, and even though my pace was on track for one of my best times, my body started shutting down and I lost track of the “why’s” and purpose.

Sometimes life can be like this.  We battle through obstacles, sometimes many at the same time, and it is hard to put that next foot in front of the other one.

But we must….Persevere.  Perseverance can be defined as never giving up despite what you may encounter.

The Bible says in Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

We ARE going to encounter tough situations and trials.  We are promised those in James. Whatever is ahead of us though, we need to persevere on our journey through our faith.

But how?

Draw Near to God:  God is the only one who understands fully what we are going through.  James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near you.”  Think of some of the examples scripture gives us in Job, Joseph, and the disciples. It was their closeness to God that kept them going during these hard times.

Hold onto the hope with a strong anchor:    Hope is trust and expectation.   Hebrews 6:19 tells us  “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…”  We have to have full confidence that He will give us victory through Jesus Christ, that He will never leave us, that He will strengthen us and help us.  Trust and expect that Him to do ALL these things.

Surround Yourself with a strong circle of people:   We need to be around people who inspire us to be more like Jesus.   We can gain strength through the friends who we choose to be around. Thankfully, at mile 11.1, I had a friend that I trained with that didn’t let me lose sight of that goal.  She held me accountable to my purpose and gave me confidence in finishing the race.

Our life here on earth will have many hurdles and stumbling blocks.  We cannot give up though. We must persevere. Remember to draw near to God, hold onto the hope God has given us through his promises with a strong anchor, and surround yourself with encouraging people that point you closer to Him.  These will help you walk through the dark valleys we will all face.

Anchored to Him,

Leigh Ann