"Steadfastness", Slow and steady wins the race!

James 1:2-4    Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces (STEADFASTNESS). And let steadfastness have its (FULL) affect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Colossians 1:11  May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.
James 5:11a    Behold, we consider those blessed who remain steadfast. 

If you are anything like me your "Patience Scale" might rate at 0% on a scale of 1 to 100%.   I must admit that when I set goals for myself  if  I don't achieve them immediately I get discouraged.  And how logical is that?  Not very.  I have the knowledge, wisdom(from experience) and understanding that anything worth doing takes time and patience.
Over the last few days I have been pondering the subject of "Steadfastness".   The story of  "The Tortoise and The Hare" came to mind and it made me ask the question "Which am I"?  Well, I would have to answer the Hare and this is why;  the Hare is sort of a spaz.  He jumps off going all out with no definite course.  Have you ever watched a rabbit take off out from under a bush going as fast as he can and while doing so, zig zags all over the place until he gets to the next bush?  That would be me.  I start out on something going "Mach five with my hair on fire" only to find that I gas out before I reach my final destination.   When I started this Blog it was sort of the same.  Going full throttle thinking I had to post something every day.  The Lord intervened and showed me that if I take a little more time with the topics he gives me that the outcome will be a little fuller and my own understanding of them will be more complete.  Imagine that.
Our faith is a journey of steadfastness.  It is not a sprint, as we so often hear from our Pastors and Bible Teachers.  It is a Marathon.  Think of the Tortoise.  He doesn't move very fast and he sure seems to be focused on where he is going.  And where he is going always seems to be straight ahead, not veering to the left or right and definitely not "zig zagging" all over the place.  As a "Hare" I find that I can become unfocused and easily lead down stray paths that eventually lead me away from my original goals.
 
Psalm 119 (The Message) You are blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.  You are blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right-you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.

When I slow down I don't get ahead of God and what he has planned for my life.  He has given me energy and enthusiasm and has made me an "Encourager".  He has given me a body in which to use for that purpose.  Even with a limitation, he has provided a way to work with it.
What has God planned for your life?  What gifts and tools has he given you to follow through with that plan?  Have you slowed down enough that you are not getting ahead of God? 
And the same goes for our Fitness Journey.  We start out full throttle and gas out before we get to our goal.  The desire to have physical fitness is a life long journey.  It doesn't stop just because we now fit in our "skinny jeans" or we now feel comfortable wearing a bathing suit.  And how many of us start out like the Hare only to stop in the middle of the race to take a nap(slack off)???  Steadfastness with the realistic goals we set for our selves will produce a life time of physical health and wellness.

Lord, I thank you for you mercy and patience.  I thank you for your Living Word that shows us the road set before us.  I thank you for our bodies that you have given us to use as instruments of worship and service.  Lord, I thank you for this day that you have made and I pray that we will all rejoice in it.  In Jesus name I pray, amen!!

Today's Worship Walk play list:
Give Me Your Eyes                                        Brandon Heath
Your Love                                                       Brandon Heath
For Those Who Wait                                      Fireflight
Movin'                                                            Group 1 Crew     (cuz this is what it is about)
Move                                                               MercyMe            (ditto)
Glorious                                                          Newsboys
Supernatural                                                    dc Talk
Forever                                                            Fireflight
Love Never Fails                                             Brandon Heath