GOING THE DISTANCE

In our society we tend to look for the fastest way to get something, and at the cheapest cost. Fast-food, microwave ovens, on-demand movies and tv shows, instant downloads, and instant search results for our research projects. We don’t want to wait for the things we desire, but at what expense? Do we move so fast, or desire to get something so quickly that we are missing something in our hastiness? Is there a direction or message that we do not hear or see because we were too quick to act?

Speed is not always best. Maybe in NASCAR, or track and Field events, but in the race of life speed is not the most important aspect to getting to the finish line. Hard work, dedication and counting the cost are what we are called to do in order to be who we have been called to be by the very one who created us.

In the movie, and one of my favorites, “Field of Dreams,” we all know the famous line spoken by the “voice”, “If you build it, they will come,” but there is another line spoken by the voice that says, “Go the distance.” Do you remember that line? It was spoken when Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) and Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) were sitting in the stands at Fenway Park in Boston. Click on the link to be reminded.

It is not enough to start; what matters is that we finish. We have to “Go the Distance.” Jesus, when speaking about being His disciple, made this comment about starting and finishing.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”  Luke 14: 28-30

Obviously, in order to complete a task, we first have to start the task, but with everything, finishing what we started is more important than just starting.

Too often we start something, and we do a great job for a while, but then we get tired, run down, exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed, discouraged, we just give-up. We stop, we quit, we throw in the towel, but why? Did we not plan appropriately for what it would take to finish? Was it taking too long? Were we unable to be patient enough to see it to completion? Do we lack the confidence to do the job once we get started? Do we not have the endurance? Whatever the reason, the counter to all of this is GOD.

When we are in His will, following His plan and the path He has laid out for us, He will get us to the point of completion.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

It is not about who is the fastest, or the strongest, or even the smartest. It is all about the finish, and doing the right things along the way. It is having the confidence in knowing that GOD is on our side and He will see us on to completion, to the finish line.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:7-8

Mountain View Christian Academy BEGAN in 1992. In 2022 we turned 30 and we had ONLY JUST BEGUN. Now we are MOVING FORWARD and looking eagerly to the future. Adding more classroom space with modular units donated to the school, but with a cost to install and make operational. That cost has been counted, and we will see this phase one project to completion, but not always in our time, but in God’s. After that, the plan is to add to the church and then to build a stand-alone K-12 school on our campus. There is a vision, a plan, and when God says go we will, and be assured, we will, “GO THE DISTANCE!”