There’s this story of a young man who got to pray with an old man. When they began, the young man started to pray loud, shout, pace up and down, getting pumped in the fact that he had the energy to pray for long. The old man began by taking it gently, slowly and consistently.
After some time, the young man got tired out and could no longer pray, but the old man continued non-stop. After the prayers, the young man asked the old man; “Sir, how did you get to do it that you kept praying while I got tired out?” The old man responded; “In this kind of long prayer, you must learn to conserve your energy and build slowly and steadily.”
Friend, life is a marathon, not a sprint. You need stability more than you need speed. You need to go far more than you need to go fast. You need capacity for the long haul (2 Samuel 3:1). You need to take care of your body. You need to take time to rest. You need to eat well and exercise well.
You need to learn how to conserve your energy and build slowly and steadily. It is a marathon, not a 100-meter dash. Where you are going is still very far (Joshua 13:1). Dear young pastor, there are a lot of messages and preachings for you in the future. Don’t let ignorance finish you before you even start your assignment (Hosea 4:6).
It is better to take it slowly, steadily, and progressively with God, in wisdom, than to blow up and finish yourself before your assignment finishes or even starts (Acts 26:22). We must learn to preserve both the wine and the wine skin (Luke 5:38).
Pay attention to your health (Psalms 105:37). You need grace and wisdom to do this. Grace is made available for us in Christ, but wisdom is what you do with grace and how you deploy it in your everyday life. You can have grace and lack wisdom, but when grace and wisdom are in place in your life, you cannot be defeated. Life is a marathon. Never forget this.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria