Some encouragement

The Life Long Race

Real life for believers starts with a touch from God. The Bible tells us that it's the goodness of God that brings us to repentance. That touch of God's grace on our lives points us to the need of change. However, the knowledge that a change is needed is not the only phase. It demands that a choice be made.
The choice is whether to continue on our old course of life or make the necessary change of direction toward the kingdom. Jesus stated that, "the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe this good news." It's one thing to know we need to repent, it is altogether another to actually repent. One of the first acts a person can do to show this desire of change is to be baptized.
Baptism is just the beginning. The life of believers has been compared to a race. Not the short distance dashes but to a marathon. It's a long distance, life long race. So, baptism is just the starting line. It points us in the right direction; towards the finish line.
Being baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins will unload all the baggage we have carried to that point. The promise of God's spirit will help insure that whatever baggage we may be confronted with, does not need to be carried along.
The race course of our lives has been marked out by Jesus himself. That's why he makes the invitation to follow him. The desire to please our Master is what keeps us in the race. There are adjustments to be made along the way, to be sure, which keeps the necessity of repenting and confessing a regular activity.
Another motivation for continuing is the hope of seeing Jesus face to face. Many children look forward to the safe return of fathers, and mothers, from the war. What great expectations arise from the hope of that meeting? Some children may have never met the absent parent. Yet still the meeting is full of anticipation.
In the same way we can look forward to the joy of meeting Jesus. It may sound like an empty promise to some, but for believers, it keeps us in the race looking for the finish line when Jesus will say, "Well done".
Yes indeed, the return of Jesus and the resurrection from the grave will make all the hardships we face now forgettable. The face to face presence of Jesus, a new resurrected body (that won't wear out like the current model), and the kingdom on earth are grand prizes for finishing. God will give us the help we need by His spirit to complete the course.
The believers life is a life of faith. We trust that what is written is true. It's the same sort of faith Jesus displayed, and he asks us to follow him.
In short, we have left our dead-end life and exchanged it for a life of promise, hope, and great reward. Don't give up, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.