The Wall

You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

– Leviticus 20:26

Long-distance runners call it The Wall. It’s that barrier of mental and physical fatigue that successful athletes train for years to overcome. If successful, they’ll reach the finish line with power left to spare. But those who are unprepared will drop out of the race in exhaustion and defeat.

As Christ-followers, we face our own wall each day as we try to live up to the calling for holiness — or being set apart from the ways of the world — and instead living by our Creator’s high standards. But too often we tire as we fight our natural tendencies to do what’s wrong (“sin”). Instead of following Jesus’ example of loving our neighbors, helping the disadvantaged, and honoring God, we’re tempted to go back to our old me-first lifestyle. It’s the selfish stuff we know we shouldn’t do versus the ultimately world-changing things we can and should do. And as with any battle, fatigue tends to set in … and we hit the wall.

But giving up is not a viable option. We read in the Gospel of John that Jesus’ disheartening standards of perfection caused many of his followers to turn their backs and head home. Christ then asked his 12 disciples if they also planned to leave him. To this, Simon Peter replied: 

"Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life.”

What can we do when we hit our own spiritual wall? First, we should lighten our load by shedding the excess possessions and unnecessary distractions that hold us back. For example, do any of us really need the burden of more credit card debt when we probably have more than we need of just about everything? And like successful marathoners, we must always keep our eyes on the finish line. Yes, steep hills and rough road lie ahead of us. But every step we take gets us closer to victory!

Finally — and most importantly — we must always pray for strength. And we get this much-needed vitality through the Holy Spirit: the personal Power that all Christ-followers receive when they ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit is literally God residing in every Believer. It’s that Force that enables us to do or say the things we never could before, overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, and generally do the impossible. James, the stepbrother of Jesus, gives us these words of encouragement:

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

In this long-distance race called life, do you have the Power you need to overcome the wall? Just ask for it in faith, and you’re sure to cross the finish line in victory.