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Do you ever feel like you have nothing left to give? Like you are completely worn out? I felt that way last Thursday.
You see, some sweet young ladies from St. Paul’s convinced me to wake up early on Thanksgiving morning, bundle up in my warmest clothes, and run a Turkey Trot 5K in the 32-degree weather. That’s about the craziest thing you can ask a native Floridian to do!
It’s been a couple of years since I was a consistent runner, and I was feeling pretty tired and out of shape that morning. My foot had also been bothering me for a few days. After about a mile of running, I wasn’t sure that I had enough to give. Could I make it to the end? Guess what … I did!
I gave everything I had and ran those 3.1 miles because of two things.
- I was surrounded by an awesome crowd of encouragers, people holding fantastic signs and cheering, as well as my own friends and family. Every time I thought that I couldn’t take another step, I would be encouraged to give more than I thought I could.
- I kept my eyes fixed on the joy that was coming. I knew that at the finish line there would be excitement from people that I love and a warm car. I also knew that the joy of having completed that race would last for the rest of that day.
Do you sometimes feel like you are running a race in your life? Like you are pouring yourself out, giving and giving of your time, energy, and gifts without being filled back up? I think that December can feel especially that way as we work so hard to do all the things that the Christmas season seems to require, giving until we feel exhausted, like there is nothing left.
When I start to feel tired from running the race of life, I find it helpful to ponder these verses from Hebrews. As much as I give, it is nothing compared with what Jesus gave for me: His very own life. We know there were times He felt like there was nothing left to give; just consider the Garden of Gethsemane.
So what kept Jesus going? Why didn’t He quit the race? This passage tells us that it was for the joy set before Him. Do you know what that joy was? It was you and me! We are the reason that Jesus completed the race, to win the prize of salvation for us. His joy was to never have to spend a single day separated from His beloved children. That’s the reason He gave everything.
Now He asks us to give as well, but not the same way that He gave. There is nothing that we need to give in order to earn the prize of His love or of heaven. He already took care of that. He simply asks us to give up our pride and sinfulness, and to give the love that He’s already given us to others.
He doesn’t ask us to do it alone. Jesus has given us the gift of faith, and He works through others to encourage us as we keep our eyes fixed on loving Him and serving our neighbor.
Let us give joyfully this Christmas season, even when we feel like there is nothing left. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us with full confidence that, at the end, there will be joy like we can’t even imagine.
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