18 Oct 1968: Bob Beamon #254 of the USA breaking the Long Jump World Record during the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico. Beamon long jumped 8.9 m (29 ft 2 1/2 in), winning the gold medal and setting a new world record. It is the first jump over 28 ft. The most famous long jump ever achieved: Bob Beamon of the United States takes off for a place in sporting history as he leaps 8.90 metres at the Mexico City Games of 1968. While the middle distance runners from the low level countries floundered in the thin air of Mexico City, those in the explosive events reached new peaks, none higher than Beamon, who added 58 centimetres to the world record with a jump aided by a wind of 2 metres per second the very limit of wind assistance. In Imperial measure terms it looked even more impressive since he missed out 28 feet, taking the record to 29 ft 2 ins. Yet Beamon never again managed a jump of 27 feet. It was twelve years before anyone else reached 28 feet (8.53 metres) and the record stood until 1991 when Mike Powell of the US leapt 8.95 metres in Tokyo to win the world title. His jump was at sea level and wind assistance of 0.3mps. Mandatory Credit: Tony Duffy /Allsport

He was focused. He stared down the runway thinking through the details necessary to create an exceptional performance. This was his time to shine.

He wasn’t the favourite though. He didn’t hold the world record. If he jumped a personal best perhaps he could win Olympic gold. But what he was about to achieve was not simply his best. It would be the best performance in all human history. And not just by a smidgen, by the largest margin ever witnessed in the annuls of global competition…

Bob Beamon was about to eradicate the world record in the long jump during the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico City with a jump of 29 feet 2 ½ inches. He shattered the current world record by close to 2 feet.

To understand the magnitude of this record: since 1901 the world record had been broken 15 times by a margin of between ¼ and 6 inches. The greatest margin the record had ever been previously broken by was only 6 inches. Beamon broke the record by 21 ¾ inches. It was considered a superhuman accomplishment.

Beamon’s world record stood untouchable for 23 years until 1991 when Mike Powell bested Beamon’s jump by 1 ¾ inches. Powell’s record still stands today.

Beamon’s jump was arguably the greatest long jump the world has ever seen.

I trained for long jump when I was at university. Sadly, due to injury, my long jump aspirations were cut short. I had the basic raw materials of speed and spring, but couldn’t end up putting them together to create an exceptional jump.

I have since learned that, for the most part, we all have a natural ability in the long jump. We can all jump that’s for sure. We often jump into emotional propensities that we shouldn’t. We can all have a certain default when it comes to our emotional or mental state. We all have certain emotional or mental defaults that can become our overriding mindset if we do not catch ourselves before we jump.

What do I mean?

Well, for example, if I do not focus on the Truth I have a propensity to jump into criticism and judgment. Before I realize it I can find myself being critical and judgmental of someone. The Holy Spirit has to help me see how I am being critical and judgmental. It may be something that is left unsaid, but it still resides in my heart.

We have a friend who has a propensity to jump into fear and worry. Before she realizes it she can be deep into fear and worry that she needs the Lord’s help to get out of. Again, she needs the Holy Spirit to help her see what she has jumped into so she can choose to jump into the Truth instead.

We all have a tendency to jump into mindsets that are not rooted in the Truth – they are tied to our sin nature, to “the flesh” as scripture points out. We can jump into guilt and shame. We can jump into anger and rage. We can jump into envy and jealousy. We can jump into self-hatred and rejection. We can jump into alienation and isolation. We can jump into negativism and pessimism. We can jump into self-pity and self-centeredness. There is no shortage to the negative mindsets and emotions we can jump into.

What we have a tendency to jump into is rooted in lies we have believed for decades.

Even though we can jump into all manner of negative mindsets, I believe there is a particular mindset we each have a tendency to jump into. Sure, we all have the capacity to jump into all manner of sinful thinking and habits, but I think we are all uniquely wired to a particular default pattern. I believe our key to getting free from this negative repetitive process is to ask the Lord to show us what we tend to jump into.

So what mindset do you tend to jump into? Ask the Lord to help you see it, and then to help you jump into the Truth instead.

You don’t want to be adept at this kind of jumping.

Romans 8:5, 6

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

Ephesians 4: 22-24

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

I was motoring up the street on the uphill portion of my prayer walk; that’s when I saw them. It was also in that moment the Lord whispered something simple, yet quite profound…

Most days of the week I go for a 3.5 km prayer walk from our house down the mountain to the lake and then back up again. I love it. I have finally found a way to get regular exercise and regular prayer time.  I love the time with the Lord, I love the scenery, and I love the fact that I’m getting sustained exercise – which has been a key factor in losing 20 pounds this past year.

I set a fast pace in order to get my heart rate up. I average 5-6 km/hr according to my handy iPhone speedometer app. It’s the fast pace that makes all the difference. If I don’t get my heart rate up I will not see the physical benefits that exercise can create.

So, back to what I saw on the uphill portion of my walk. I glanced up and saw two large people going for a walk as well, but going very slowly. I found myself beginning to day dream about them…

How long have they been doing this? Were they just starting a regular walking regimen? Is this perhaps something they have done together for a very long time? Have they been doing this to try to lose some weight and are wondering why they haven’t lost any yet?

In a nanosecond my mind then skipped to other people I have heard mention how they have been exercising, but just not getting the results. It was then I heard the Lord’s whisper,

“It’s about the pace.”

What do you mean by “pace”?

A download of thoughts began to fill my mind. Pace determines the outcome of the race. Runners, joggers, walkers, and exercisers all have the same choice:

Will you cruise and coast, or press on and pursue?

If we choose to cruise and coast we will see no benefit from the time we put into exercising. However, if we up the pace and choose to press on and pursue a goal we will reap the rewards. Coasting and cruising does not create personal growth. Pressing on and pursuing a goal creates much growth.

If you choose to create a fast pace to get your heart rate up, you will see positive physical results. Keep upping your pace and the physical rewards continue to grow. If I set a fast pace and do my best to continue to press on with that pace I will reap the rewards of my exercise. If I choose to coast and cruise on my walk I will not only not make further gains, but I will lose the gains I have already realized.

Now, let’s look at this concept as it pertains to our relationship with Jesus. Are you coasting and cruising in your faith, or are you pressing on and pursuing Him wholeheartedly? It’s all about the pace. It has been said that half-hearted Christians are the most miserable people of all. They know enough about God to feel guilty, but haven’t gone far enough with Christ to be happy.

In other words they haven’t pressed on, they haven’t pursued God wholeheartedly – their pace is slow, timid and undemanding. They are cruising and coasting, and miserable because of it.

Jesus has invited us to pursue Him wholeheartedly. He has called us to press on toward His purposes in us and through us. That takes effort. That demands energy, time and attention from us. It’s about the pace. A half-hearted pace will not reap the results we desire. A half-hearted effort does not reap wholehearted results.

Let’s choose to set a pace in our pursuit of Jesus that will reap the results He desires for us. Let’s press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of us. Let’s pursue Christ wholeheartedly to win the prize for which He has called us.

May we understand the importance of pace and press on in our pursuit of Christ and His Kingdom in and through us.

How’s your pace?

Philippians 3:13b, 14

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (The Message)

“You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”

Isaiah 43:22

“Yet you have not called on me, Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel.”

Cancer had overtaken her mother’s body. Like a slow moving lava flow it had destroyed everything in its path.

The end was near.

She didn’t know what to do. She and her mother had journeyed through every stage of this insidious disease and now they were facing the final stage – the last chapter. She was once again sitting with her mother in her hospital room, simply being together. This time though she had prepared something.

Knowing that her mother’s death was inevitable she had madly thought through what she could do to make the most of this time – this moment in history. All that came to her was gratitude. She looked back at all her mother had given to her. The large significant gifts, like life, and the myriad smaller gifts of time and attention that were now no less significant in her eyes.

So that’s what she did. She carefully began to thank her mother for everything. She left no stone unturned, no gratitude unexpressed. Her mother sat quietly drinking in every ounce of love her daughter offered. When she finished tearfully expressing her overwhelming gratitude she sat quietly, letting her mother drink it all in.

Her mother silently stared out the window for an inordinate amount of time. She then turned and looked at her daughter and graciously said,

“It was my joy.”

That was their last conversation.

After her mother’s death she bought a simple silver locket and had it inscribed with the final words of her mother – “It was my joy.” This is her way of reminding herself of the legacy of love given to her by her mother, and an exhortation to make the most of everyday by giving herself for the joy of others.

As I choked back the tears listening to this woman’s story on CBC I thought of the words of Hebrews 12:2,

“Jesus, for the joy set before Him endured the cross and suffered its shame.”

As I sat in silent gratitude for all the Lord has done in my life I sensed Him simply say,

“It was my joy.”

It was the Lord’s joy to lay down His life that we might live. It was His joy to lay aside the privileges of the Godhead, to become a man that we might know the heart of God. It was His joy to be beaten, bruised, betrayed, slandered, sacrificed and slain so that we can live in the freedom and life of the government of God – so that we might become children of God. It was His joy to make a way for us to be set free from sin, to be delivered out of the domain of darkness, and to break the chains of demonic oppression that had bound mankind.

It was His joy to first love us so that we might love Him.

It was joy that led Jesus to the cross. It was the joy of knowing He was the historic fulcrum that would forever shift the balance of spiritual power so that mankind could live in the Father’s righteousness, peace and joy for which we had been created, crafted and called into.

In short, you are Jesus’ joy.

What motivated Him to make unimaginable sacrifices by becoming a man to die on a cross was the joy of seeing you live as a beloved child of God, reconciled to your Father who loves and delights in you. No longer do you need to be oppressed by sin, death and enemy. You can live in your Father’s joy as a beloved son in the family of God, having authority over our spiritual enemy whose only objective is to steal, kill and destroy all that is in the Father’s heart for you and through you.

His sacrificial love was for the purpose of setting us free and catapulting us into the Truth of the love of God. He has made a way for us to live the life that we were designed to live. He has made a way for the family of God to be united in love. All His sacrifices were for love – for you, for us.

Hear Him saying to you, “It was my Joy.

You are the joy of the Lord.

Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

1 John 3:1a

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

John 1:12

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”