“[Heartbreak Hills] also exist in things other than literal running. Hearts are broken by those hills we fail to climb. We set goals, we give it our best, and we hit walls. . . . Sometimes the worst isn’t the hill we failed to climb; it’s the experience of finding out we don’t have the endurance.”- Kyle Idleman
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”- 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV)
In the Epilogue (“Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop.”) of Don’t Give Up, Kyle Idleman boldly states that how you finish trumps how you start. And the difference in finishing well?- perseverance.
Writing in his book Adversity Quotient, Paul Stolz argues that AQ (Adversity Quotient) predicts success much better than IQ. Therefore, people who endure possess not only the head and the heart for their calling, but the shoulders for it. As Proverbs 24:16 (NLT) states, “The godly may trip seven times, but the will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”
The apostle Paul kept going because Christ’s love compelled him. As a result, when Christ’s love compels us, we can’t stop, won’t stop (emphasis Kyle’s). Only the compelling love of Christ possesses the strength and power to keep us going.
In conclusion, Kyle offers these words of encouragement when facing Heartbreak Hills:
“The challenge is to keep the faith when all you can see in front of you is Heartbreak Hill. Anyone can run downhill, short distances, the wind at our back. But what happens when the road tilts upward, the sun beats down, we’re exhausted, and our strength runs out? In life, the love of Christ, when we truly understand it, when we personally experience it, compels us. It won’t allow us to quit.”
Today’s question: When have you hit the wall on your Heartbreak Hills? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the annotated bibliography of Don’t Give Up
