“The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive valiantly; who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spend themselves in a worthy cause; who at best know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen ? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. 9For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”(16:7-9) JOHN 14
6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?10Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15“If you love me, keep my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” JOURNAL
This has always been one of my favorite quotes by Theodore Roosevelt. I memorized it in college and have carried it with me ever since. The image of being "in the arena" resonates deeply because I believe God calls us to engage life fully, to love, build, restore, and serve despite the risk of failure. The goal is not perfection. The goal is faithfulness.
What stands out in these passages is that Asa succeeded when he relied on God and sought Him wholeheartedly. When he stopped seeking God and began trusting other things, fear and struggle followed. Jesus tells His disciples something similar in John 14. He promises that God Himself will dwell within them through the Holy Spirit. They will not be left alone to figure life out in their own strength.
The more I reflect on this, the more I realize that input equals output. What I receive is what I ultimately give away. If I receive God's love, I can give love. If I receive His acceptance, I no longer need to chase the acceptance of others. If I receive His power, love, and discipline, I can live from those things rather than from fear.
I think many of us define success differently than God does. We measure it by outcomes, accomplishments, money, status, or comparison. Yet when I look at Jesus, I see that God's definition of success is simple obedience and surrender. Jesus looked like a failure to much of the world, yet He lived the most successful life ever lived because He was perfectly aligned with the Father.
What I continue to discover is that my job is not to control outcomes. My job is to enter the arena each day with God in my heart, trust His love for me, and give my best. Giving my best is an act of worship, not because I am trying to earn God's approval, but because I already have it. The results belong to Him. My responsibility is simply to love, build, restore, and faithfully give away what I have first received.
6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
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