Let's keep running and not slack up

1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

There are many kinds of races. One is called a relay race because a baton is relayed from one runner to another. It was divided up into four parts and there was a runner assigned to each part. The first part needed a  runner who was fast off the blocks. The two middle runners were just to be consistent and the last leg was for a runner who could "kick" it in with a burst of speed. Then you have the marathon race in which the runner must be in it for the long haul alone. Also coaches know that there is a point in the race when the tendency is to "hit the wall" which means the runner has run out of readily available strength and must reach really deep for that "second wind". This is a very critical point in every race and is the point where many races are won or lost. This is where the coach is often on the side lines yelling "keep going! give it all you got!" It becomes a mental versus physical battle. A decision is made by the runner way down inside to keep on going or to begin to slacken up. It is very much like this in our spiritual lives. Where are you in your particular race? We must ask ourselves...What is holding us back or slowing us down? What unnecessary weights are we carrying? Brothers and sisters many of us are getting to or are at that critical point. We can not slack up now! Lets keep our eyes on our coach and listen to His Words. Let's RUN!