Dare 2B Daring – July 14, 2014 A daily devotional published by Risk Takers for Christ, Inc. (Permission granted to reprint with proper attribution.) “Those that excel seldom give up, and those who give up seldom excel.” – Joe Hoffman, Jr. His face was creased with a determined look – so determined, in fact, that his preschool teacher asked him what was the matter. “I’m trying my best,” the young boy answered, “and I’m not going to get up.” That boy was my son, Chris, and even though he slightly misquoted it, he was responding to his teacher’s question by reciting the “Glading Motto”. When our three children were small, I was thinking about a way to instill in them some timeless truths that would serve them well throughout their lives. And so, I invented the Glading motto, which simply says, “Try your best and never give up.” Sure, Chris mistakenly said “get up” instead of “give up”, but I think he still understood the point – even at the age of four. That may be why this young man, who just joined our Risk Takers staff as Program Director, was able to overcome a stroke when he was just two years old. Learning to use his left hand in place of his right, Chris went on to earn varsity letters in three sports and graduated second in his high school class. How about you? Are you trying your best at whatever God is calling you to do? If so, you are a winner – even when you don’t come out on top. All anyone can expect of you is your best effort. If that isn’t good enough to win the game or earn the promotion, so be it. You can still hold your head high. As long as you don’t quit, that is. Too often, when people are facing seemingly insurmountable odds, they “pack it in early”. In other words, they put forth a half-hearted effort because they expect to lose. That makes them losers. Not because they lost, but because they refused to try their best until the final buzzer or bell. In 2008 and again in 2010, I ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in one of the most liberal and heavily Democratic districts in the country. In fact, the last time a Republican was elected to Congress from that district was in 1972. Nominated by my party, I ran for office as hard as I possibly could; knocking on 50,000 doors each election cycle. Did I win? Yes, I did, but not in the conventional sense. Although I earned more votes – and a higher percentage – than any Republican candidate in 35 years, I was still roundly defeated at the polls by a 10-term incumbent. But because I tried my best and refused to give up despite the odds, I was able to lay my head on my pillow on election night and know that I had given it my best shot. In sports terms, I “left it all on the field”. According to the Glading motto – and God’s Word – that makes me a winner. And what about my opponent, you ask? Well, he was forced to resign this past February for illegally using campaign funds for personal use. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV) - Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 02:33:58 +0000
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