I recently began listening to many of Morgan Harper Nichols' songs, including one entitled "A Prayer For Grace" which has this lyric: "and finally when I see Your face, and I've reached the end of my race, I don't want to be known for finishing strong, but as someone that Your grace carried all along..."

This has had me thinking deeply and often about how quick we are to say to one another, "Finish strong!" Maybe it is a tough project at a job or a difficult semester in a school year, but we say this and hear this phrase so often. I don't think we should just succumb to every pressure and be weak, but the thing is, we are so afraid of being seen as weak or a failure that we push ourselves to crazy limits.

We say, "finish strong," but we put so much on our plates, create so much unnecessary stress for ourselves and the people around us, and work incredibly hard, and so often it is done out of self-centered motivation.

We don't say "finish strong" because we want to glorify God or even because we want to leave a legacy for others to follow in, we just want to be known as someone who did something well and was an amazingly strong person. The lyrics in Morgan's song got me thinking about how we shouldn't make our goal being known for finishing strong, but as someone who was consistently carried by the grace, mercy, love, compassion, forgiveness of the Lord. Without Him, we would be utterly lost. And yet, day in and day out we try to live this life without Him. We think we can handle certain things without Him, and we call it being "strong" and "brave" and "using our brains" instead of relying fully on Him and trusting in Him wholeheartedly.

I am not promoting or condoning being weak, lazy, or giving up because you don't feel like being strong; that is not the point. The point of this is to be humble and selfless. Whether you want to be known for finishing strong or you simply want to give up just because it feels easier, those are both self-serving options and the theme of the song is exactly what the title says...a prayer for grace, daily grace, so that everyday we may become more like Him. Not striving to become any certain idea of what we think is best or have any selfish gain, but live a life that is truly pleasing to Him.