Strive for Personal Best

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 NIV

In a story titled “Dutch Runner Femke Bol Breaks Own 400m Indoor World Record” published yesterday, the following was reported: Femke Bol broke her own indoor 400m world record on Sunday as she recorded a time of 49.24sec in the Dutch championships in Apeldoorn. Bol, the double world champion outdoors at 400m hurdles, improved her own record set at the same venue last year by two hundredths of a second. The 23-year-old had demonstrated she was in the form for fast times by opening her season with 49.69sec in Metz before going even faster in Lievin last week with 49.63sec… Lieke Klaver showed that the Netherlands are in contention for gold and silver in that event by smashing her personal best with a time of 50.10sec to become the second fastest indoor performer of the year.

And you know, when it comes to smashing a personal best, the Bible is very clear that believers should never be satisfied with their current progress but should strive to be better each and every day. You see, at the end of the day, you and I aren’t really comparing our ‘best’ or competing against how ‘good’ we were yesterday but against our heavenly Father’s perfection. Which means there will always be room for improvement this side of heaven since we will never be perfect. That’s the reason we must always be diligently training for godliness in the same way a runner trains to break the tape and win the gold. 

So let us think of and treat ourselves as athletes in training my friend. But rather than working to receive a crown that will not last, we must do it to win a crown that will last forever. Which means we must lay aside everything that hinders us and run with all our might. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we are all works in progress. Help us to see when and where we miss the mark so we can work to become more like You. Lord cause us to see the value in doing this, so we would make striving for perfection our very highest goal. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!