Sometimes it takes faith to quit the race,
to swim against the tide of coventional wisdom.

Sometimes it takes faith to step off the pitch,
to walk away from the game;
and refuse to play by the old rules.

Caught up in striving and trying to succeed.
We work hard, strive and struggle.
After all, you’ve heard the phrase ‘heaven helps those who help themselves’.

So we become experts at doing ‘good works’,
disciplined and faithful in religious exercise.
We seek out and exploit connections.
After all, you are told, one needs a network of both peers and the ‘in crowd’ to ‘get ahead’.

So you throw yourself into the game.
To the casual observer, you appear faithful and full of faith,
a real example, hardworking, ambitious and on course to achieve success.
But on the inside, you know the truth, that you have drifted and lost your way.

These words describe where I was just before I walked away from the church community I had been a part of for several years.
But it could also be a description of one caught up in the rat race, or consumed by a desire to win something or someone.

Yet …

The race is not always won by the fastest runner, or by the most determined.
Not every victory is secured by the most powerful or mightiest.

We should make room
for Grace in place of works;
for Miracles in place of magic, and
for Spirit in place of might.

Perhaps it is time to quit trying to do it in your own strength.
Perhaps it is time to stop, pause and rest in the Everlasting Arms.

Sometimes it takes faith to quit the race,
to swim against the tide of coventional wisdom,
to march instead to the drumbeat of God’s spirit within you.
The reward is peace, and your true path to success and fulfillment.
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