God Should Get the Glory

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am  fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:13-14 NKJV

In an almost unbelievable story titled “Ashley Paulson Averaged 7:21 Pace for 100 Miles—and Smashed the World Record,” it was reported that:

At the Jackpot 100 Mile Ultra on Friday, Ashley Paulson set a new women’s world record for 100 miles, winning the race by more than two hours in a time of 12 hours, 19 minutes, and 34 seconds—an average pace of 7:21 per mile.

Paulson knocked 17 minutes off the previous record of 12:37:04, set by Caitriona Jennings of Ireland at the Tunnel Hill 100 Miler last November.

Held in Henderson, Nevada—just outside of Las Vegas—the Jackpot 100 also served as the USATF 100 Mile Championships. Running in a pair of pink Nike Alphaflys that matched her signature pink ponytail, Paulson finished more than two hours ahead of the next woman and was second overall to Rajpaul Pannu, who won the event in 11:38:56.

“Honestly, it doesn’t feel real,” Paulson, 44, said in a post-race interview with her sponsor, Buzz Bomb Caffeine. “I’m like, has this really happened? … I worked so hard for it, but it came, it happened. Dreams come true, you just gotta keep fighting for it and show up, put in the work, and then execute.”

Wow right?

And while working hard and putting in the work are most definitely two of the key elements that led to Paulson's success, we can't underestimate the role that genetics played in her elite performance. You see, Ashley is obviously not your average ultrarunner. Her speed, skill, talent and mental grit are superior to those of 'average' ultrarunners (such as myself and many of my friends) whose average finishing time is about 28 hours. Which means that God made her special.

In fact, the Bible is clear that God made each and every one of us special... with unique talents and features. This was something that King David, the psalmist, by divine revelation, clearly understood when he wrote, "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well." Interestingly enough, other translations say that God "wove me" or "knit me together" in my mother's womb.

Is that beautiful or what? This backs up what science shows... that each and every one of us has individual and distinctive DNA, which makes us one-of-a-kind masterpieces hand-fashioned by the Creator Himself. Not only does each person look different, but each person has a skillset unique to them based on the way they were created by God.

"And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him." 1 Samuel 16:23

"He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze." 2 Samuel 22:35

"Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David." 1 Samuel 17:49-50

This unique skillset can be seen in the life of David whose hands were not only fashioned to play the harp but were made for war. His arms were forged to bend a bow and to also sling a stone with precision so as to prevail over Goliath. In this way, you could say that God certainly made David special in the same way He made you and me.

"Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Psalm 29:2

Which is the very reason that we should, as David wrote,  give God "the glory due to His name" for all of our successes, rather than keeping the glory for ourselves. After all, there is not one person who has ever lived, is living, or will ever live that has any talent that was not God-given. Not one. 

So, whatever skill God has blessed you with, thank Him for it my friend. And then use that talent to the best of your ability to shine a light on the One who made each and every one of us in a way that shows that He is the divine and purposeful Creator. And always, always, always, give God the glory!

Heavenly Father, thank You for making every person in such a way that there could be no doubt that there is a divine Creator that places value on each individual at the moment they are conceived. Help us to acknowledge You as the Giver of all good things Lord, and to publicly praise You for your goodness and the marvelousness of your works. May the lost come to know You by the way we give You glory. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!