God's Coaching #311

God's Coaching #311

Have you ever dreamed of running a marathon? It’s a great accomplishment to run for more than 26 miles. What would you do when you crossed the finish line? Collapse? Dive into the nearest pool? Drink a big milkshake and then sleep for three weeks? How about run another marathon—for the next 50 days straight?

That might sound crazy, but that’s exactly what Dean Karnazes did in 2006. The professional ultramarathoner called it the Endurance 50—50 marathons on 50 consecutive days in all 50 states! He started in St. Louis and finished at the New York City Marathon in November. Oh, and then he ran back to where he started—St. Louis, a mere extra 1,300 miles. Dean’s 50-marathon feat was seriously superhuman. But he was no stranger to difficult challenges. He ran a 135-mile ultramarathon across Death Valley in 120-degree heat, a marathon to the South Pole in negative-40-degree temperatures, and a 350-mile race. Plus, he won numerous 100-mile endurance races, including the world’s toughest Badwater Ultramarathon.

What’s the Score?

Dean ran because he loved it. And he enjoyed inspiring other people to get off the couch and go farther than they ever thought they could. When people hear about Dean’s achievements, they usually think two things: (1) He’s crazy, and (2) Hey, maybe I could do something amazing. Dean endured a lot of pain to train his body to run great distances. And he showed the world it’s possible to achieve a goal when everything screams, “Give up, now!”

If a normal human can obliterate expectations like that, just think about what God is able to do. Paul wrote in Ephesians that God is able to amaze us. He’s able to use his power in us to accomplish “infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). Ponder that. But you really can’t, because it’s more than you can think of! He wants to blow right past your expectations. Do some dreaming with God. Then trust him as he leads you step by step to reach your goals.

On the Ball

Ask God for a big dream. You won’t accomplish it overnight, but take the first step of trusting him.

Coach’s Comment

All glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20