"It is not the critic who counts."

My brother became an Ironman last year in Louisville. I had the privilege of cheering him on for almost 17 hours as he swam 2 miles, biked 112 miles and then ran a full 26 mile marathon. It was one of the most inspiring things I have seen in my lifetime. People reached deeper than they ever thought they could reach to prove something they never knew they could do. We watched as a blind man crossed the finish line. We saw men and women in their 70's finish before 20 year olds. Human determination shed light on many things that day and affected my thoughts, not only on sports, but on life in general. My brother has written a book that is in the process of being published. It is about an ordinary person training for the Ironman, while managing all of the other important things in life, like being a great husband and dad. It is a book about Ironman training details and a book about determination in general. I am currently reading his manuscript and--this is coming from someone who doesn't like to read-- I am finding it hard to put down.

While reading, I came across this quote from Theodore Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory or defeat."

Maybe you are in ministry and you are being criticized by those who have never done the brave thing you are doing. Take heart! "It is not the critic who counts." No one has walked the road you are walking and no one has the vision God has given to you. Do not be discouraged. Keep pressing forward.

You may have been told that you will never do great things, that you will never be loved, or that you are destined for failure as those who came before you. There is a God who says that you "can do all things through Christ" who gives you strength. Do not quit. Set your eyes on the goal and let God do His amazing work in your life! You have got what it takes.