Kenneth Copeland Ministries: Pursuit Of His PresenceSample

Go the Rest of the Distance

by Gloria Copeland

“Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither.” 1 Corinthians 9:25, The Amplified Bible

Many Christians today have come the greater part of the distance in their walk with God. They’ve been delivered of old habits, and have learned to give God first place in their lives. They’ve trained themselves to get up early and spend time with God each day. They aren’t living in habitual sin and being led by their flesh all the time. They know what God wants them to do. They know His will for their lives. They have grown up to be mature believers. But they haven’t arrived.

“Why, Gloria, what do you mean?”

God is calling all believers, including mature believers, to greater consecration. He wants us to spend more time in prayer, more time in the Word. There may not be sin in our lives, but there are little things holding us back spiritually. It could be natural things taking up too much of our time—things that keep us from more of God. Hebrews 12:1 calls them “weights.”

The Spirit of God is faithful to tell us those adjustments we need to make. Maybe He’s telling you to get up earlier like He told me at one point in my life. In fact, I’m thinking of getting up even earlier than I have been. I want more time. I want more time before I go out and live my day. For years I’ve gotten up as early as I needed. If I have to catch an early flight to travel overseas for example, well, I just get up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Whatever it takes. I just do it.

God speaks to us about what’s in our hearts. He loves us. He says, Just put that aside. Lay it aside for a while. It’s taking up too much of your thoughts, too much of your time.

You need to ask yourself, What makes me tick? What is it that I think of when I wake up in the morning? What is it that’s the center of my attention in this life?

If it’s not God and His Word and His kingdom, then you need to make a change. You need to get God at the center of your life.

Don’t divide your loyalty. Keep yourself, your attention, undivided. Seek first the kingdom of God and put first things first. Those three things right there will give you a successful spiritual life. And if you have a successful spiritual life, you’ll have a successful natural life.

So pick up the pace. Go the rest of the distance. You can’t win a race with weights attached to your feet! Lay aside those weights and run with patience the race God has set before you.

Speak the Word

“I lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset me. I run with patience the race that is set before me.” —Hebrews 12:1

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