Perseverance Through Seasons of Transition

The Eye of the Tiger

• “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24

• “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9

• “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Father,

I come before You today with grateful hearts, acknowledging that You are the Author and Finisher of our faith. Lord, thank You for the fire You’ve placed within me—the passion to pursue purpose, to run our race, and to press forward through every trial and transition.

As I reflect on what it means to have the eye of the tiger—that focused determination—help me to recognize that this drive comes not from me alone, but from Your Spirit working within us. Strengthen me, Lord, in the face of fatigue. Stir me again when my fire begins to fade. And Father, give me the wisdom to discern my season. Teach me not just how to endure, but how to transition well trusting that You are leading me from one chapter to the next, with purpose in every step. May this moment of reflection reignite my passion for Your will, recalibrate my focus, and restore my commitment to run with endurance the race set before me. I give You all glory and praise.

In Jesus’ mighty name I pray,

Amen.

There’s a fierce fire that burns in every competitor—that relentless spirit, that eye of the tiger. It’s not just about winning; it’s about the drive, the focus, the inner roar that won’t settle for less than your best.

I remember a track meet in Gainesville, Florida—one of the last in my athletic career. Our relay team was strong, dominant. I took the baton somewhere in the second or third leg, behind a few competitors. And something surged in me. I loved the chase. I felt alive, running them down one by one.

But as I hit the second curve, a strange awareness entered my mind. Though I was still talented and fast, something inside whispered: This may be it. The drive is fading. I felt the eye of the tiger slipping away—and at first, that frightened me.

But in reflection, I now realize it wasn’t loss. It was transition. That season of my life was drawing to a close. God wasn’t extinguishing my fire—He was redirecting it. My athletic days were ending, but the discipline, passion, and drive I had cultivated were not wasted. God was simply moving me into a new lane, a new calling.

Not quitting is crucial—but so is discerning the season you're in. Sometimes, what feels like fading intensity is actually divine repositioning. The goal isn’t to hold on to how we’ve always used our fire—but to ensure we never lose the fire itself.

Where is God redirecting your drive? Is He transitioning you into a new season? Are you resisting the shift or embracing it with faith?

Father, help me to never lose the fire within. But also give me eyes to see when You are moving me into a new season. I want to run my race with endurance, but I also want to run in the right lane. Give me discernment to know when to press forward, and when to pivot, all while keeping the same intensity and focus for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.