As we see the signs all around us, financial industry crashing, stock markets tanking, Fortune 500 companies closing it’s doors, swine flu, legalized gay marriages, even a Black President of the United States, we know that Christ is coming soon. Even we who study end time events look around with fascinated amazement at how things are happening with such rapid succession. Yes, we are truly in the last days. This is no longer a metaphor, an ambiguous statement made by Christians seeking to look pious describing some far off unclear period of time- it’s now. So what does that mean to young people today, should we quit our jobs, drop out of school, sell all we have, pack up and head to the hills right now? Does that mean that I should forgo all future plans and sit in the house waiting for the crackling of the sky? Should we abandon all personal achievement, our dreams of marriage, college, children, homeownership, careers, entrepreneurship, authorship and other such noteworthy achievements?
To these questions and more I will say this, realize now more than ever that this generation is the “ANCHOR-LEG GENERATION”. What does that mean? When we look at a relay race we put together our fastest team of able-bodied athletes who are strong, train hard and are ready for the race. However out of that group of four we pick the fastest to go last. Why? Because we know that the Anchor Leg goes the quickest of all four legs. Why else? Because we know that if any relay member from the other legs don’t hold up their end, it is up to the anchor to pick up the slack. Now it may not be fair but that’s why Christ chose you to go last, because you’re the fastest. He made your reflexes keener, your intellect sharper, your resources greater, your bodies stronger, he made you better equipped to handle this ever increasing fast moving race. He also allows you the benefit of being able to look back and watch all of your ancestors run the same race and see their many mistakes, when they slowed down, when they sped up, when they tripped and fell… You saw it all and don’t have to make the same mistakes.
So Speed up! Don’t be fearful don’t be timid round the corner and take off! The race is ending soon, don’t slow down, don’t look around, don’t look back at your parents or previous generations mistakes in order to justify making your own mistakes, there’s no time for that now! You have to do all that you were put here to do, no playing around, no excuses, no time to adjust for bad choices, no opportunities to make up for lost time later. You can’t go out and “live your own life” with the plan to come back to the church later- there is no later. There is no time to wait. No longer can you say, I want to get my life right BEFORE I get baptized. Come as you are and run with all your might!
Beware that Satan is picking up speed too hoping to trip you up as you speed up but don’t worry about him Christ won’t allow him to come into your lane. The most he can do is put up a hurdle in your lane but you’ve trained for those too. When you know you’re running a hurdle race, your not surprised when you see them in your lane they are supposed to be there, don’t look in Satan’s lane just leap over the hurdles and keep it moving.
Christ is cheering for you. He’s waiting for you at the end of this race to give you your reward; and not a fake gold medallion but a robe and a crown and a mansion and wings and eternal life and an unconditional love that has no limits. The sweetest words at the end of this race will be “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord”
Hebrews 12:1,2
1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
-- Meredith Forde