Inspiration Archives - Page 13 of 15

Run Your Race with Confidence – ETB #66

by Connie Albers | Jun 16, 2021

Are you running your race with confidence or looking around at what others are doing? Do you know why running your race is important? Do you find yourself looking at others and trying to imitate them?

How you run your race depends on your season of life. A twenty-something runs differently than someone in their forties or sixties. Why? Life experience, the demands of children, and physical health. It is wise to accept the realization that your race will change as you age. God designed it this way.

Every runner knows the speed at the beginning of their race will get slower the further they run. It’s natural to slow down. This is true of you. It is true of me. Understanding this reality early in life will profoundly impact how far you can go later in life.

But running your race with confidence requires you to consider a couple of truths. You can’t run your race if you are in someone else’s lane. And you have to know what race you are running. Life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Sure, there are times one needs to sprint, but the amount of energy it takes to sprint can’t last long. Our bodies are designed to run a marathon at a sprint pace.

How Do You Start Strong?

Discover who you are. It’s more than temperament and Enneagram type. God made you a one-of-a-kind original. You aren’t a copy of someone else.
Take an honest look at your talents, then decide which of them you are passionate about developing.
Focus on becoming excellent in a few areas. This takes time and lots of practice.
Be willing to pivot. Change does not mean you are wishy-washy. Your race will require you to change. As your season of life changes, so does your ability to run. It is wise to be aware of this.

Your race is unique to you! You can’t do what everyone else is doing.

How will you run? There is a bit of strategy in preparing for a race. A runner has to know what they are capable of doing.
Get serious about learning more about yourself. Be intentional about your discovery process.
What are you doing to develop the talents God has given?
What is your season of life?

Running your race with confidence will not allow you to miss God’s best for your life. You aren’t missing out when you focus on being faithful to doing your best in your season of life.

If you don’t run your race with excellence, who will? No one.

How Can You Discover More About Yourself?

Pay attention to what excites you.
Listen to the stirrings of your heart.
Start journaling. Write down God’s subtle whispers.
Don’t be afraid to try something new, even if you are afraid.

When You Run YOUR Race with Confidence

You aren’t tempted to look at what others are doing.
You are more focused on your training.
You don’t feel compelled to compare yourself to others. It loses its appeal.
You will constantly be learning about yourself.
You must give yourself time.
You experience peace deep within.
You become a master in a few areas of life.

Related Episodes

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Is Self-Protection Hurting Your Faith and Friendships? – ETB #55

by Connie Albers | Mar 31, 2021

Self-protection isn’t new. People disappoint us, so we put up walls. God doesn’t answer our prayer, so we stop praying. We deal with pain and suffering by self-protecting. It feels safer. But, is it how Jesus handled pain and suffering? Did he avoid people who hurt him? No. Then maybe we should live by his example.

Life can be messy. Very messy. Faith might seem hard to hold on to, especially if your prayers seem to fall on deaf ears. But, are you allowing self-protection to hurt your faith and friendships?

Guilty of Self-protection?

A friend recently shared something about self-protection from the book 40-Days to Decrease by Alicia Britt Chole. Her text was so good that I had to pull my own copy off the shelf and read more.

I found myself wondering if I’m guilty of self-protection. Sadly, I am. Most of us are. I think the longer we live, the more pain and suffering we’ll experience, but we have a choice: Put up walls or let our light shine by being different.

In this episode, I share some reasons people self-protect, what God’s taught me about not using self-protection to keep others at a distance, and why we should follow Jesus’s example.

The Solution to Self-Protection

Instead of avoiding people and uncomfortable situations, Jesus chose to be fully present. He knew what was about to happen to him. He knew he would be betrayed, mocked, and rejected. He could have put up walls and distanced himself from others. Why didn’t he? Because he knew freedom comes through suffering, not avoidance. He endured much, but he embraced the moment.

Are you hurting your faith and friendship by protecting yourself? You don’t have to live that way. It’s a choice. Freedom doesn’t come by way of not experiencing pain or suffering. It’s the opposite.

Take some time to consider the impact of living a life that constantly tries to keep God and friends at bay. May I invite you to consider removing the walls you’ve so carefully constructed so your faith and friendships can flourish?

*If you are in an abusive situation, seek help. Don’t stay in an abusive relationship or put yourself in harm’s way.