I'm not much of a runner, but I went for a short one-mile jog the other night. As I ran, I meditated on how the Christian life is a lot like a race. It takes long-suffering and patience and pain. Following Jesus is not a sprint, but a marathon. Coming up the final hill on my run, I started to feel the pain and prayed to God, "You know that I cannot do it. I am not strong enough. You have to do it for me." I was talking not about the little jog, but about my Christian journey.
Then it happened.
I can't quite explain it, but I felt as though my legs were carrying me up the hill with very little effort of my own. I knew that if I wanted to stop, I could. I was still in control. And yet, I also knew that I was being empowered to climb up the hill. It only lasted for a few seconds, but I have no doubt that it happened.
God graciously revealed a mystery to me. The Christian life does indeed require my participation, but God is the One who does it. God provides the power. Salvation belongs to our God... and to our God alone. From first to last, He is the one saving me.
And so I am trying to live in this reality: I have been saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved. And I'm not the One doing it.
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