The World-Class Athlete Who did not Run the Race

"On your marks… get set… ready…"  

Blast!  

All the runners take off except one.  Though his  
supporters cheer him on, he remains on his  
mark, head up, watching the others go.  He
stays in the same position until the race is
finished.  

After the race, his coach runs up to him and
wearingly asks him what went wrong.  The lad  
turns to look at his coach and excitedly  
exclaims, "Coach, I've achieved my dream,  
coach!" raising his hands as if he were the
winner of the race.  The coach is dump folded  
and gives the lad a questioning stare. "Yea, I've  
made it. I've made it to the big race," the young  
athlete beams out.

It took some time for the coach to understand  
what the athlete was saying but it finally
emerged that a lot of people had told the athlete  
that they would be proud of him even if he only
qualified for the race. So, he made it his life
dream and ambition to make it into the race until  
he did.  And when had done so, it never  
occurred to him that he had to run the race – so  
he didn't.

This story may shock many of us but this is a  
typical example of how some of us have
shortchanged ourselves in life.  This may not  
true for every area of our lives but in some of  
them. The two that came to mind right now are
your purpose and your walk of faith.  

·        Your Purpose
Many of us are excited at the prospect  
of finding out what our purpose in life is.    
We have been told of all the benefits of
finding our purposes so much that it  
passes us that finding our purposes is
only the fist step of the journey; it is like  
making it to the starting point of your big
race in life.  After finding out what is  
your purpose in life you have the new  
task of pursuing it. If you just find your  
purpose and don't pursue it you're no  
different to the world-class athlete who
made it to the tracks he so desired and
prepared for but did not run the race
when the time to do so came.


·        Your Walk of Faith
Another place where people act like the
world-class athlete who did not run the
race is in their walk of faith. Many  
people have 'surrendered' their lives to
Christ but care not to live for him.  
Responding to Christ's call to salvation
and repenting from one's sinfulness is
but making it to the big race. Running
the race to win it starts with you  
changing your ways, flows into your  
involvement into Christian service,  
transcends into your work of faith.  Your  
walk of faith will lead you to a place  
where you do exploits for God when it is  
full blown. Up till this happens, you are  
like the world-class athlete who has not  
run the race.

Are you pursuing your purpose?  Are you
growing in your walk of faith? The world-class  
athlete lived the rest of his life regretting that he  
had missed his opportunity to run his big race.  
Are you running yours?

Be Inspired.

Run with Purpose

When God created you, He did so with a specific purpose in mind.  Find out what it is. Ask Him what it is. See what it is, write it down and run with it. "I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim)" Paul writes in one of his letters to the Corinthians. In other words, he was saying "I run with a definite aim" or "I run with purpose." My exhortation to you this week is make it your business to find your purpose and run with it. In other words,  Run with purpose.

"LIFE IS MORE THAN FOOD, AND THE BODY MORE THAN CLOTHES." (LUKE 12:23)

Jesus assured us that God will always see to it that our
daily needs are met. We need not worry of what we
will eat, what we will drink or what we will wear.
God will supply all our needs. He is the God who
feeds the birds of the air – that neither reap nor sow
and have neither storeroom nor barn – and dresses the
grass of the field – which neither labours nor spins.
This same God will always supply us with
something to eat, something to drink and something
to wear. Just you dare to believe God’s word.

What’s Your Unique Area of Competence? I Know Mine. Do You Know Yours?

Let's keep it simple this week… Yes?

Unique Area of Competence – the one thing an individual is really good at doing.

My Unique Area of Competence – the one thing I am really good at doing, which is clear, concise writing.

Your Unique Area of Competence – the one thing you are really good at doing, which is…

What's Your Unique Area of Competence?  I Know Mine. Do You Know Yours?

If

1.
If you say that you are not like your "friend," one way or another you are telling a lie.

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Proverbs 13:20

2.
If you are thinking of giving up, just remember it's on record.

You yourselves are our letters … known and read by everybody.

2 Corinthians 3:2

3.
If you are going to change the world, you might as well start with changing your world.

… first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Matthew 7:5

4.
If you think you can you can; if you think you can't you're right.

"… we certainly can do it."

Numbers 13:31
5.
If you plan to do something, just go right ahead and DO IT.

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:13

6.
If you want to increase your chances of succeeding in what you are doing, do it over and over again – until it succeeds.

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or both will do equally well.

Ecclesiastes 11:6

Just do it!

When people around you expect very little of you, it is difficult to acquire and maintain a healthy self-confidence. Most likely you play it safe and avoid challenges for fear of failing. Without the experience of success and failures, you will not be able to learn from these experiences and grow as a person, will not realize your potential. Instead, your example will confirm society’s prejudice that you are incompetent and helpless.

Adopted from a speech by Dr. Adolf Ratzka (2007).

Wanna Stay Ahead in Your Game? Give Eddie’s 8-Step Goal Review System a Try…

Eddie’s Goal Review System is simple. You can use it to review all your goals at once or each of your goals one at a time. If you do not have a lot of time in your hands right now, you can begin to think through the whole process by looking at the questions that I ask under each step.

Step #1: State your original goal

What is it that you set out to do in the first place?

Be as precisely as you can. Writing it down. Look back at the day that you set your goal and say, ‘When I set this goal, this is what I am/was aiming for.’

Step #2: Measure the progress that you have made on your goal

What are the things that you have done and you believe have moved you a step closer to the achievement of that which you set out to do?

If you are writing a book, out of the number of chapters that you expect to write, how many chapters have you written so far? In whatever it is that you are doing or are supposed to have done, how far have you gone?

Step #3: State your current position

What’s your position in relation to what you should have accomplished by now?

You can either be on target, off target or above target. Knowing your current position will help you decide what you need to do next.

Step#4: Outline the obstacles that have been keeping you from your goal

What are the things that have held you back from the pursuit and achievement of that which you set out to do?

List all the things that you believe would make the pursuit of your goal easier if you had these things. These may be the lack of certain material possessions, the lack of emotional support of your peers or anything that comes to mind.

Step #5: Outline the things that have been driving you closer to your goals

What are the things that have propelled you forward towards the pursuit and achievement of that which you set out to do?

Now, list all the things that you believe have made the pursuit of your goal easier or less impossible.

Step #6: State the strategy that you are going to take towards your goals

In the light of the obstacles that you have faced and the things that have propelled you forward what is your action plan?

Come up with an action plan. Carefully consider the things that are to your advantage and decide what you are going to do to see to it that you achieve your goal. While you are at it, keep in mind the obstacles that you have to overcome as this will help you keep it real. However, if there’s nothing to your advantage in relation to any particular goal of yours do not hesitate to drop that goal.

Step #7: Restate your goal or set a new goal

From this point forth, what are you setting out to do?

What is your goal? Is it still the one you set at the beginning of the year or you have made some changes to cater for the things that have either been holding you back or propelling you forward?

Step #8: State and date the outcomes that you want to see

What do you expect to see and [by] when?

Mark down all the milestones and achievements that you want to see as you pursue your goal. These can also be used as signposts to your progress at every step of your journey to doing whatever it is that you set out to do.

Be inspired.