Recently I've been trying to regain my athleticism,
so I've been running every day.
Well today I decided to go for a much longer run.
As I was running I began to labor hard.
My legs and back began to tighten,
my breathing became difficult.
Suddenly I let up and began to walk.
That's when the Lord said to me;
"Pride will take you to your limit,
faith will carry you beyond"
As I walked I pondered on what this could mean.
I began to recall a particular race in my youth,
I was running against a guy I just hated losing to.
So I made up my mind that I was not going to come in behind this guy.
I remember how I pushed myself so hard
that I began to labor hard in that race.
But I was refusing to slow down.
I knew I was at my limit, that I couldn't go on,
that somehow collapse was approaching.
When suddenly "runners high" kicked in.
This is a rare condition, a dangerous one even.
Because what happens is your body starts to put natural pain killers
into your system while also kicking in adrenaline.
In every sense of the word,
you get a high like nothing else you've ever experienced.
My breathing moderated, my stride steadied,
I began to run almost effortlessly.
That day pride had taken me to the end of my strength.
Something else had carried me beyond.
I began to realize some things.
How, "his strength is made perfect when our strength is gone".
I understood suddenly that this day I had held back,
I didn't go to the limit, and so I was not carried beyond.
How often do we as believers sit on our hands
mentally ascending to the fact that we can't do it,
that Christ must do it for us?
Yet we don't know that in our heart!
We don't know how short we are of where we should be
until we give it our best try.
Until we exhaust ourselves,
until ALL of our pride is spent!
We operate in "false humility".
We have "reasoned out" that we shouldn't even try.
This is pride being held back!
HOLD NOTHING BACK!
Until you are spent you will always
have some of your own strength to carry on with.
We mistakenly think we can "reason" our pride away.
We can't, we must spend it away, exhaust it, drive it to its limit,
use it ALL up and SEE just how short we are!
How many times will I approach the limits and draw back?
How many times will I come to the point
where I am almost spent and save myself?
When will I use up all of my strength?
When will I have the faith to go beyond into His strength?
![[pulsating cross]](astar2.gif)
