You Qualify!

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus - Philippians 3:14

Watching 2012 Olympic runner, Oscar Pistorius, race in the 400-meter semifinal was astounding. As a double amputee, Pistorius has carbon-fiber blades in place of feet and ankles. Pistorius made history by qualifying to compete against the world’s fastest men. We witnessed more than a race, we witnessed a man refuse to accept limitations, ignore the stigma, and defeat the odds. While I celebrated through tears, I was reminded that regardless of the thoughts of others, the lack of support or acknowledgement…we do qualify to get in the race.

I looked at Pistorius and wondered how many of us have been rejected and ridiculed by our peers; discounted and made to be the punchline of many jokes. It would seem that your life screams “least likely to succeed”. Maybe you don’t have the testimony that your life has been perfect, seamless, and easy. I know I don’t. Experiencing life changing occurrences such as the death of loved ones, divorce, and health challenges can cause many to feel like the promise of God will never be fulfilled in your lives. We can easily feel inferior to others who have no idea what we’ve walked through just to get out of bed every day. And despite your debilitation, I want you to receive this life-changing word today…you qualify.

You qualify because Jesus Christ lives in you. You qualify because the blood of Jesus has cleansed you from all sin. I challenge you today to get your purpose off of the shelf, and out of the box that it was put in. I know this is wrong, and that’s not right, and this is broken, and that’s not fixed. I know this one won’t help, and that one laughed, and this one lied, and that one is unfaithful, but according to Matthew 19:26, with men it is impossible, with God all things are possible! Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the divine strategy for your situation and watch Him provide every type of assistance you need for success through Christ.

I hope to never forget the smile on the face of Pistorius. I’m certain it wiped the smile off the face of every person who’d ever doubted his ability to qualify. Press toward the mark today and refuse to accept any limitations put on your life. Shut the door on the stigma from your past and press on to run the race set before you. After all, you’ve already qualified to run it. Success to you my brothers & sisters in Christ!

Qualified to run,

Tracy Gale