In History Makers manual, I read the story of John Akhwari. He was an Olympian who represented Tanzania in 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
In the middle of the race, he suffered a fall that dislocated his joints and sliced his knees open. He was taken out for medical treatment.
After one hour,he returned to the Stadium to complete the race after the winner had crossed the finish line and medals had been given. The last set of spectators were about to leave the stadium when he began to hobble on track.
When asked why he continued to race when he had no chance of a medal, his said, "My country did not send me 5 000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race". That's profound.
I want to address those who think they can no longer pursue their God-given assignment because of a fall. I am here to tell you that though you have fallen and messed up but God still desires that you finish your assignment here on earth before coming home to glory.
God did not send you to this earth to start and not finish your race. God invested so much into your life so that you can finish the race. While you may have been wounded with scars, you are not expected to withdraw and become an onlooker.
Your mess can become a message and you can rise from the ashes of your fall to become a mighty giant that will brutalize Satan.
Satan might be telling you that you cannot be restored again and that your voice will not be heard because of that error that smeared your image. Satan uses condemnation to make people withdraw into their shell so that he can silence them.
Whenever we read about Samson, we often focus on his mistakes but we fail to realize that God still restored him and used him even in his final moment than when he was fit. He died fulfilling his purpose though in a battered state. That's grace at work subliminally.
In Judges 16:30, the bible says, "And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. SO THE DEAD WHICH HE SLEW AT HIS DEATH WERE MORE THAN THEY WHICH HE SLEW IN HIS LIFE"( KJV).
Why do you want to quit? If you have been wounded, get bandaged through confession, genuine repentance, discipline and accountability. While your image may have been smeared yet know that you are answerable to God and not man. As long as you have settled with God, man's opinion doesn't matter in heaven.
When you are fully restored, get back on track and finish the race. You are sent to finish the race not to quit.
